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Expedition and Wilderness Medicine: Are you looking to add adventure to your career?

9 February 2020

Our internationally renowned Expedition and Wilderness Medicine courses are designed to be the most comprehensive introductory training course a medic can be part of. Opening up a new world of extreme medicine, we believe they make the perfect ‘entry-level’ for any aspiring medic looking to mix adventure into their career.

Using the hilltops of the UK and Slovenia as your training ground, the WEM faculty team, who bring an incredible wealth of exploration knowledge and working in austere environments to the course, will introduce you to the exciting world of expedition and wilderness medicine. It’s here you’ll learn to work with the environment, overcome the obstacles of the mountains and increase your knowledge and skill set.

Throughout your time on the course, you will be provided with universal guidelines on how to treat patients in a wilderness or expedition environment. You’ll learn new skills through participation in practical group work, enhanced simulations and from our expert faculty during informative and engaging lectures. There will be opportunities to share knowledge and your own experiences in group discussions, as well as examining best practice around scene management and high-stress situations. On the last day of your course, you’ll combine all of your newly learnt skills to locate, rescue, treat and evacuate a casualty in a real-life simulation exercise.

As with all the World Extreme Medicine courses, our aim is to provide a practical training course that endeavours to make those attending more comfortable using the medical skills they already have in an austere environment.

Our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine courses aim to enable attendees to:

  • Be better equipped and confident in providing the right assessment and treatment when on an expedition and in a wilderness environment.
  • Acquire and develop extreme medicine skills that can be used in any austere environment as well as specific skills applicable to expedition and wilderness medicine.
  • Enhance knowledge and skills relating to understanding, diagnosing and treating illnesses in extreme environments such as at altitude and in hot and cold environments, plus specific dentistry, fracture management and wound care traumas when presented.
  • Understand and develop the non-technical expedition skills required in a wilderness environment such as pre-expedition planning, communication, navigation and trekking, plus evacuation and rescue scenarios.

What will I learn on an Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Course?
Our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine courses are a great example of an amazing training programme on the ground in some of the most scenic landscapes. As part of the medical training, you will cover areas such as pre-existing medical conditions, wound care, and RTC management. You’ll be learning and talking a lot about the types of illnesses and injuries that might occur at altitude and in hot and cold environments, as well as dealing with potential traumas associated with expeditions in extreme conditions. There will be discussions with real-life case scenarios and the opportunity to learn non-technical skills and survival skills, a necessity when participating on an expedition.

Who should attend this course?
This course is open to any doctor, nurse, paramedic or other medical professional wanting to increase their knowledge and skillset in expedition medicine. Our courses offer a unique learning opportunity, whether you are looking for a one-off experience or need to learn new skills for your job. Many of our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course alumni are now taking part in expeditions across the globe, responded to natural disasters and emergencies or have gained placements with organisations such as Raleigh International, UK-Med, Team Rubicon and Médecins Sans Frontières.

It’s perfect for potential and existing expedition medics looking to take their medical skills into the extreme, physicians who want a higher level of understanding or anyone wanting to work in an austere environment, as a lot of the core field skills learnt can be transferred across the various environments.

If you need any further guidance, here are 4 excellent reasons to attend an Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Course:

  • Expert team – our expert Expedition and Wilderness Medicine team will be drawing from their own personal and extensive experience, sharing their knowledge and skills and giving you a comprehensive understanding of how to lead and provide medical cover on expeditions.
  • Hands-on experience – throughout your week with us you’ll learn clinical skills and field-proven techniques that will ensure you leave the course feeling confident in your ability to lead and keep your expedition team healthy whatever the environment.
  • Earn CPD credits and further your career – enhance your knowledge and increase your skillset to ensure you are in the best position possible to further your medical career and become a more effective and highly valued practitioner. For those attending and completing the course, accreditation will be offered (we estimate 30 hours of CPD) through the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
  • Expedition topics explained – during the course you’ll explore many topics including standard operating procedures for an expedition, pre-expedition planning, basic navigation and communication, security on expeditions, rope skills, mental health on expeditions, aeromedical evacuations, plus a Maxillofacial trauma workshop.

Our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Courses also comes highly recommended from past course attendees:

“This course is a great leveller! Whether you have a medical background, are just passionate about expeditions, humanitarian work or just spending time out in the hills, you’ll learn something new from everybody you meet and probably teach them something too.

The faculty were very knowledgeable and really approachable. The week opened my eyes to new possibilities as well as areas to brush up on before undertaking my next expedition.

I’d highly recommend this WEM course, whether you’re new to remote/expedition medicine or not, there always seems to be something new to use to improve your practice and it’ll certainly build your confidence.”

Lauren, EWM Corfe Castle – Oct 2019



Find out more about our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine courses and take your medical career to the next level – book your place today!

The 4-Day Expedition That Will Redefine You as a Medical Professional

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