Welcome to the new World Extreme Medicine website.
For first time visitors, you’ve taken your first step on a journey to be inspired, informed, and connected with like-minded medical people and new opportunities.
With a network of around a quarter of a million experts, practitioners, and instructors, our mission is simple;
Train, support and inform health workers looking to expand their skills and tackle new challenges.
In this post, we’ll provide an all-encompassing rundown of Extreme Medicine, including an explanation of why Extreme Medicine is important, how you can get involved in Extreme Medicine and how the new World Extreme Medicine website will help you.
There might just be some special offers and epic content along the way…
What is Extreme Medicine?
Extreme Medicine is the practice of medicine where access to medical services, support and facilities is restricted or non-existent.
Today, new challenges – climate change, political upheaval, pandemic, and war – mean we’re now facing new extreme environments.
Our global movement creates health workers who are able to adapt their skills to tackle these demands – for both natural and man-made extremes. Meaning our mission has never been more important.
What is Medicine in Remote Areas?
The History of Extreme Medicine
The practice of extreme medicine has been in use for thousands of years.
Propelled by war – like many of humanity’s advancements – empires of the ancient world are likely to have developed the earliest forms of extreme healthcare. We know the Romans relied on rudimentary yet effective remote medical care when campaigning in far-flung hostile territories like Britannia and Gaul.
The history of World Extreme Medicine?
We were born out of the magic of a campfire conversation. In the deserts of Namibia a chance conversation about the impossibility of finding good expedition medics resulted in our Founding Director, Mark Hannaford creating the very first, bespoke Expedition Medicine course in the UK.
There’s just something about the vastness of the great outdoors and the warm flicker of the fire that can spark up dreams – and decisions.
Discover our story and meet our team
How to get started with World Extreme Medicine?
Fom a chance campfire conversation, here we are today!
Whether you’re a doctor, nurse, dentist, vet, paramedic, allied health professional, medical student or have a keen interest in adventure, the new World Extreme Medicine website is the place for you to learn new skills.
With a fresh new look our content is much more user friendly and engaging, leaving you with the difficult task of where to explore first.
Here’s some highlights to help you out –
- Three new Extreme Medicine Training Courses
- Full World Extreme Medicine Conference 2022 Agenda
- The world’s leading extreme medicine podcast
- Earn CPD with our online interactive Webinars
- Explore our ongoing support of Ukraine & how you can help?
You can also get to know our team, explore our services and submit your own content to be shared amongst our community.
Brand New Extreme Medicine Training Courses
An Extreme Medicine training course provides you with transformative hands-on training which can inspire both new horizons and new careers. They enable health workers to combine their skills with adventure, travel, or humanitarian projects.
To further enhance our mission in providing specialist remote training courses to tackle every conceivable environment, we have launched three new Extreme Medicine training courses for you to take on in 2023 –
Humanitarian Medicine Course
Location: Peak District
Dates: 16th January – 19th January
Develop a new skill set which has the power to make a difference across the world.
Whether you are yet to start your humanitarian medicine career or have a couple of deployments under your belt, this course will allow you to learn the theory, essential skills and key medical aspects of humanitarian intervention.
Join Humanitarian Medicine Course
Snow Trials
Location: Italian Alps
Dates: 11th – 18th March 2023
Pitch yourself against your peers with an interactive snow experience designed to optimise your own performance under pressure and develop practical, cold weather skill sets.
Join us for a week in the Italian Alps, learning new techniques and sharing expertise – plus a chance to take time out to ski, hike, reflect and enjoy the majesty of the environment.
Existing Extreme Medicine Training Courses
If the Italian Alps, Humanitarian Aid and the Chamonix Valley aren’t quite what you are looking for, don’t worry we have you covered. With 16 different training locations covering 13 different strands of Extreme Medicine there’s plenty of opportunity out there.
Checkout all World Extreme Medicine Training Courses
“The course was one of the best courses I have done over the past few years (and I’ve done many). I think the course was a great introduction to wilderness and austere medicine.” – Zac Cherry, course attendee.
You could also go one step further and embrace everything we have to offer by joining our bespoke Postgraduate programme of further education in Extreme Medicine.
This partnership with the University of Exeter offers an inspiring academic pathway whilst supporting and increasing quality research in this area.
September 2023 intake is still open for you to join.
Be a part of World Extreme Medicine Conference 2022
Where else in the world could you sit in the same room as an Astronaut, Adventurer, Professor, Flight Medic and a Lt. Colonel? For its 11th year the World Extreme Medicine Conference will give you the opportunity to do exactly that.
Between 19-21 November, we will bring together like-minded medical, humanitarian, space, and adventure professionals to share their knowledge and expertise. You can join us either in Edinburgh or online.
Before you book your ticket, make sure to check out our brand new conference agenda and take our new website discount code with you.
Download your World Extreme Medicine Conference 2022 Guide
Watch Jane Goodall
First exclusive public access to watch Jane Goodall joining us at World Extreme Medicine Conference 2021…
“Thoroughly enjoyed this event, very inspiring and opened my eyes to the career opportunities that are potentially available within medicine.”
“Amazing speakers and such a variety of fascinating talks. Grateful to be able to attend virtually.”
“The most thought provoking, fascinating and educational conference ever. Thank you.”
Listen. Watch. Donate. Compete. More ways to get involved
We’re committed to ensuring extreme medicine education can reach all medical, healthcare and supporting professionals working in austere environments.
As a result, we’ve put together a range of easy-access online learning, available via podcast, webinars and video.
Enhance your ability to tackle challenges with new skills you can take home or out into the field.
Podcasts
Join our hosting team as they interview an exciting and diverse mix of guests from across the globe.
Hear discussions of contemporary topics, unique experiences and ground-breaking challenges which both inspire and inform your practice through conversations with other adventurous professionals.
Listen to the leading Extreme Medicine podcast platform
Webinars
Take your learning one step further with both live and interactive training sessions. During webinars you’ll not only gain vital skills, but you’ll have the opportunity for meaningful engagement with speakers, hosts and your peers all whilst topping up your CPD/CME.
Medics4Ukraine
We’ve been able to use our global network to effectively deliver aid directly into Ukraine throughout the conflict.
Beginning with a £100,000 fundraising appeal, and masterminded by a team of extreme medical experts drawing on previous experience of running medical convoys into conflict zones, we’ve successfully delivered over a million pounds worth of trauma supplies directly to the front line.
Alongside these aid deliveries, the Zelensky government has also asked us to deliver a pilot trauma training course, utilising our skills and expertise where it matters most.
Support our Medics4Ukraine mission
Strava
Compete against a group of pioneering health workers. They’re climbers, divers, astronauts and endurance athletes – they’re also doctors, nurses, surgeons, paramedics, aid workers and logisticians.
Commitment to Tackle New Extreme Challenges
From a campfire conversation to a network of around a quarter of a million experts, practitioners, and instructors. World Extreme Medicine and the area of Extreme Medicine has certainly come a long way over the last 20 years.
However, our work will not stop here. With extreme environments continuing to become more commonplace, our mission will continue to evolve but it will always be simple –
Train, support and inform health workers looking to expand their skills and tackle new challenges.
We hope you can join us!
Additional Resources
- Sign up to the World Extreme Medicine Newsletter
- Expedition Medical Kit: The Essential Checklist
- Submit your own Extreme Medicine content
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Strava
- MSc in Extreme Medicine at University of Exeter Medical School
**September Webinar Offer – Free access to all September 2022 WEM Webinars for all WEM Conference 2022 ticket holders. Conference tickets must be purchased before 30th September 2022 for you to get free access to each paid for webinar either live or on-demand. Having purchased a WEM Conference 2022 ticket our team will provide you with access to each September 2022 Webinar to watch live or on-demand once the live recording has finished. Free access to the Webinar is only available to the registered owner of a WEM Conference 2022 ticket. WEM reserves the right to change or withdraw this offer at any point.