From the deserts of New Mexico to the snowy peaks of Slovenia and the coastlines of Devon, firefighter-paramedic Joe Houser is carving out a unique path through extreme medicine.
Joe’s journey began with a volunteer fire department in his teens. From there, it spiralled into something much bigger; cruise ship medical emergencies, a military stint in Hawaii, and eventually a full-time role in emergency services covering 7,000 square miles of wild, rugged terrain.
Now? He’s building a dedicated Search and Rescue team, shaping local emergency services with global insight, and, oh yeah, he’s even helped recover a space capsule.
Discovering WEM
Joe stumbled upon World Extreme Medicine during a casual post-course beer with a friend.
“He knew I loved to travel and said, ‘[Have] you ever looked into World Extreme Medicine?’ I hadn’t even heard of it,” Joe laughs. “But as soon as I saw [there] was a Master’s where I could continue learning and explore the world, I was in.”
He joined the MSc in Extreme Medicine and never looked back.
From Hitchhiking in England to Hiking in the Alps
Joe’s first World Extreme Medicine course was Expedition & Wilderness Medicine in the UK.
“It was a little nerve-wracking at first. I didn’t know what to expect, but there I was, sitting among doctors, nurses, medics from around the world, and we were all learning together.”
From hands-on expedition dentistry sessions to last-minute hitchhiking to the course site, it was the perfect intro.
“It really lit a fire. I thought: ‘I want to do all of them now.’”
He went on to complete:
- Alpine Medicine in Slovenia: “Learning avalanche rescue, hiking in crampons, it was completely outside my usual environment. Jamie [Pattison] made that course unforgettable.”
- Ocean Medicine in Brixham: “We were on the water daily, learning about cold water injuries, exposure, dive medicine… Ella [du Breuil] was incredible. Her teaching stuck with me.”
- Space Medicine in Exeter: “I didn’t expect it to be so impactful. But standing in a classroom being taught by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, and then being taught from space by Mike Barratt on the ISS… that blew my mind.”
Real-World Impact
Back home in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Joe’s putting his WEM experience into action, Literally.
“My department asked me to build a formal Search and Rescue Team. Our area includes two national parks and the tallest peak in Texas, so it’s no small task.”
From introducing new gear (like traction splints he discovered on course) to training his entire department using WEM-taught scenarios, Joe’s extending the reach of extreme medicine far beyond the classroom.
“What I learned from WEM has filtered down to over 50 people on my team. We’re actively using those skills. It’s had a huge impact.”
Lifelong Connections
Beyond the knowledge, Joe’s gained something equally valuable, community.
“In every course I did, I was the only American. I loved that. You sit around with people from Australia, the UK, surgeons, paramedics, expedition guides… the perspectives are so different. It’s not just a course, it’s a network.”
That international community is now part of his personal life too.
“I became good friends with people on the course. I ended up hanging out in London with Christian, an Aussie surgeon I met on Ocean Medicine. It’s not just networking, it’s real friendships.”
Space Recovery & Future Goals
Recently, Joe served as a medical responder on a private spaceflight recovery mission.
“My role was to be medically responsible for one of the individuals on the flight. Watching the rocket launch, descend, and then rushing in with the team to assist the capsule, something I never imagined doing ten years ago.”
Would he have felt prepared without the Space Medicine course?
“It gave me a huge boost in confidence. Especially as commercial spaceflight grows, that foundational knowledge really matters.”
Next on his list?
- Dive Medicine (“The twins [Celeste & Liesel] said it was incredible.”)
- Conservation Medicine (“I’d love to work with anti-poaching teams in Africa, already started talking with local medics in South Africa to make that happen.”)
- Hostile Environment Medicine in Namibia (“Definitely eyeing that one!”)
And eventually… teaching for WEM.
Final Thoughts? Just Do It.
Joe’s advice to anyone unsure whether a World Extreme Medicine course is right for them?
“Just do it. Every course has left me with new skills, new ideas, new friends, and about ten new goals. It’s worth it tenfold.”
A huge thank you to Joe Houser for taking the time to speak with us and share such candid, thoughtful reflections on his journey with World Extreme Medicine. From rocket launches to rope rescues, Joe’s stories offer a powerful reminder of how far curiosity, courage, and community can take you. We’re incredibly proud to have been a part of his learning journey, and we can’t wait to see where he goes next!
