WEMLive session: Rocky Mountain Medicine

18th June 2021NickExpedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, mountain medicineNo Commentsexpedition medicine, mountain medicine

Another fabulous Monday, FREE #WEMLive session on Mountain Medicine that you will not want to miss out on!!

WEM Founder Mark Hannaford is privileged to be speaking with ace-medics from the Grand Teton National Park; Firefighter & Paramedic Kevin Grange award-winning author of ‘Wild Rescues’, and Dr Will Smith, Medical Director of the US Nationals Park Service.

On July 21, 2010, Will was the medical director in a search and rescue operation to find three separate parties of 17 people who were stranded above 13,000 feet near the summit of the Grand Teton during a lightning storm. It was the largest rescue event to occur in Grand Teton National Park. He was the medical supervisor for 16 of the 17 people rescued. The next day, the rescue operation continued to retrieve the one person who died after being struck by lightning and falling 3,000 feet. The rescue involved two helicopters, a dozen climbing rangers, two mountaineering physicians and numerous other responders. “It was a monumental test of rescuer skills and stamina, combined with incident command management ability,” said Fire Rescue Magazine.

Kevin’s book ‘Wild Rescues’ is a fast-paced, firsthand glimpse into the exciting lives of paramedics who work with the National Park Service: a unique brand of park rangers who respond to medical and traumatic emergencies in some of the most isolated and rugged parts of America. In 2014, Kevin Grange left his job as a paramedic in Los Angeles to work in a response area with 2.2 million acres: Yellowstone National Park.

Miss the FOMO and become a maverick medic and join us Monday 21 June: 11:00 / 18:00 BST

Sign up right here: https://bit.ly/3wGzm3e

This session will be available afterwards on the WEM Facebook page and the WEM Academy website.

#BeExtreme

Interested in Mountain Medicine?
Discover our WEM Mountain Medicine course; the ultimate Mountain Medicine Nepal course, where you’ll follow the Everest Base Camp Trail from Lukla along the Khumbu valley to base camp, situated in the shadow of the world’s most iconic peak.

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

9th February 2020WEM Marketing DeptExpedition & Wilderness MedicineNo Commentsexpedition, expedition and wilderness medcine, expedition medicine, medic, wilderness medicine

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!

Other blogs that may be of interest, include:

Meet the team behind our Expedition & Wilderness Medicine course in Keswick

15th January 2020WEM Marketing DeptExpedition & Wilderness MedicineNo CommentsEWM course, expedition medicine, WEM Faculty, wilderness medicine

We’ve brought together a remarkable teaching faculty for our Expedition & Wilderness Medicine course taking place in Keswick this March; all with an amazing depth of experience, living and working in the most remote corners of the world and achieving notable success in the face of extreme challenge and adversity. They will be sharing their extensive knowledge and skills to give you a comprehensive understanding of how to lead and provide medical cover on expeditions.

Meet this highly specialised team who will be delivering an unrivalled syllabus of content:

Burjor Langdana – Expedition Dentist

Burjor Langdana, WEM faculty Burjor is both a past consultant dentist for the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit and a resident expedition dentist for AdventureMedic. He has many years’ experience in Expedition/Wilderness and Remote Access Dentistry, having first become interested in this specialism while running dental camps in remote parts of India (where he did his Masters in Oral Surgery), and later when working in the Sultanate of Oman.

Burjor deepened and broadened his expedition medical experience through spending four seasons in the Antarctic; working as a VSO dentist in Malawi and working with Mobile Surgical Services in New Zealand.

The contributing author and editor for the dental chapter in the new Oxford Handbook of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine, Burjor has written numerous articles about his specialism, which have been published in AdventureMedic and in the dental section of competency guides for remote health care practitioners and expedition medicine. He has also lectured extensively on his subject and provides phone and email support for event medics.

His main passion these days is to train medics in the dark art of Expedition Dentistry, through running intensive yet interesting hands-on workshops.

Emma Figures – Medical Doctor

Emma Figures, WEM faculty

In her life before medicine, Emma lived in a caravan in Wales, worked as a healthcare assistant, travelled solo around the world having never been on a plane, hiked the Himalayas, studied Geography at Cambridge and volunteered in Nepal, China, India, Sri Lanka and Zambia (Teaching, Tsunami relief and TB hospices). After graduating, she taught in Geneva and undertook an internship at the UN and WHO, where she attended the Human Rights Council and World Health Assembly.

She then returned to Cambridge to study Medicine and ventured to Borneo for her elective (in a busy city ED and rural jungle clinic). After Foundation training in Cornwall and a Mountain Medicine course in Morocco, Emma returned to Kathmandu with Nepal Critical Care Development Foundation and has subsequently pursued a colourful career in expedition medicine and education.

Her expedition medic work has taken her on charity cycles in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Sri Lanka and hiking challenges in Iceland, the Grand Canyon and Kilimanjaro. She also had the chance to work in Fiji with the famous Dr Joe for the US reality TV show Survivor. Closer to home, she has worked as an Event Medic for a Children in Need Ramble and in the Brecon Beacons with Across The Divide.

Emma completed a PGCE during her clinical teaching fellowship at Birmingham University, before flying off to warmer weather (and Category 5 hurricanes) in the Caribbean, where she was as an Assistant Professor at Saba University. She is now back in the UK for GP training, but continues to dream of faraway places and enthusiastically teaches on expedition medicine courses dressed as a magical unicorn – true story!

Karen O’Neill – Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Karen ONeill, WEM faculty

Karen O’Neill is an Advanced Clinical Practitioner experienced in emergency care and humanitarian aid. She graduated from the University of Manchester with a Bachelor of Honours Nursing degree in 2003. In 2012 she attained a postgraduate Master of Arts degree in Humanitarianism and Conflict Response and in 2019, a Master of Science degree in Advanced Clinical Practice.

Karen’s career has been divided between Emergency Department nursing in the National Health Service and the humanitarian sector.

Karen is experienced in humanitarian development, disease outbreak control and crisis and disaster response. Most recently she worked on the Save the Children migrant crisis response, where she worked as an emergency nurse at sea on their search and rescue programme in the Mediterranean.

During the West Africa Ebola Crisis, Karen worked as Medical Adviser for the UK National Ebola Response Programme providing assistance in Sierra Leone and in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, she was a member of the UK International Emergency Trauma Register team. The crew provided emergency medical care to populations living on remote islands that had been injured during the disaster.

Karen has worked in both hospital settings and community outreach posts in Uganda, as well working on a programme delivering primary care to slum-dwelling communities in Mumbai. In addition to this, she has enjoyed leading training programmes in paediatric care in a hospital in Malawi. Karen also continues to offer her support to a charity that assists children with chronic ongoing illness needs in South West Uganda.

In 2016 Karen’s contribution to international nursing was recognised by the University of Manchester who presented her with an Outstanding Alumni of the Year award.

Ben Watts – Paramedic & Expedition Leader

Ben Watts, WEM faculty Ben has been a Paramedic since 2014 and is a Critical Care Paramedic on the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

He has a background in Whitewater paddling and big river expeditions and has climbed virgin Peaks in Kyrgyzstan and cycled the Jordan Bike trail. Ben has interests in Expedition medicine and has been a medic on a number of remote expeditions. He also has a particular interest in human factors, CRM and performance under pressure, both within pre-hospital medicine and the expedition arena.

Abbi Forsyth – Anaesthetics Clinical Fellow

Abigail Forsyth, WEM faculty Abbi is an Anaesthetics clinical fellow currently working at Chesterfield Royal Hospital and is also currently completing the RCSEd Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM).

Abbi has been involved in providing medical and safety cover to ultra-endurance running races in the UK for a number of years and has had the privilege of working on races such as the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race TM and Salomon Skyline Scotland TM.

Wayne Auton – Specialist Retrieval Practitioner

Wayne Auton, WEM faculty Wayne is a Specialist Retrieval Practitioner with the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service operating out of Glasgow, providing enhanced pre-hospital trauma care. The service also conducts specialist transfers of critically ill or injured patients from remote and rural locations across Scotland.

After leaving the Royal Marines and becoming a paramedic in 2009, Wayne has held various positions as a HEMS paramedic with Helimed 76 and Helimed 5 and more recently as a winchman on a Search and Rescue helicopter.

With a passion for anything to do with mountains and mountaineering he is also a member of a Scottish mountain rescue team and is keen to find ways to improve and develop pre-hospital care for avalanche patients. To keep fit for the mountains Wayne also enjoys Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jodie Sage – ED Trainee

Jodie Sage, WEM faculty Jodie is an ED trainee in Wessex, battling to balance getting outdoors with an ED rota.

She has extensive expedition experience having completed expeditions on every continent as well as taking a keen interest in endurance events. Jodie has a wide range of hobbies from trail running to knitting, triathlon to baking, skiing to sea kayaking and you can often find her on an adventure riding a tandem bicycle. Jodie has spent the past year in New Zealand where despite her best efforts she didn’t quite become a pro surfer or pro ski tourer.

In addition, Jodie maintains an interest in global health and has worked on projects in different developing countries focussing on sustainability within healthcare.

Neil Sambridge – Consultant in Anaesthesia

Neil Sambridge, WEM faculty Neil is a consultant in anaesthesia, major trauma and pre-hospital emergency medicine.

He works at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (an adult major trauma centre) and on two regional air ambulances (Yorkshire and the East Midlands). Neil has also been a volunteer with the Edale Mountain Rescue Team and Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation for many years. He is also a strategic medical advisor for the East Midlands Ambulance Service and a major incident lead for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Neil has climbed and caved in many places across the world including winter climbing in Scotland and the Lakes, aid climbing in America and Canada, chalk cliff climbing on the south coast, via ferrata in the Dolomites, caving in France, trekking in Nepal and sea stack climbing in Scotland. His expedition experience includes Iceland and Kyrgrzstan.

Mel Watts – GP

Mel Watts, WEM faculty Mel is a GP with a keen passion for expedition medicine.

She has been fortunate to work on youth development expeditions in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Canada and has also worked on multi-stage ultra-marathons, including in Namibia.

Mel loves the sea and when she isn’t working is a keen traveller, her most recent trip was cycling the Jordan Bike Trail.

Jim Moonie – HEMS doctor

Jim Moonie, WEM faculty Currently London based, Jim completed his emergency medicine training in June 2018 and has since been working as a HEMS doctor for Essex and Herts Air Ambulance. In 2021 he will be undertaking a secondment with London’s Air Ambulance.

Prior to studying medicine, Jim undertook a French degree during which time he spent a year living on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. From this grew a passion for living and working overseas, which along with his love for climbing and other outdoor pursuits, he has since combined with his medical career.

His involvement with wilderness medicine began at medical school in Bristol. He attended a number of wilderness medicine courses, spent two months working in a remote mission hospital in Rwanda and two months studying at the Institute for High Altitude Pathology in La Paz, Bolivia.

He has climbed widely, visiting the French Alps on a regular basis and with trips further afield including the Bolivian Andes, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, East Africa and the Nepal Himalaya. He has also been involved in exploratory mountaineering trips to Greenland and Kyrgyzstan. In 2007 he completed the New Zealand Coast to Coast Race and in 2013 ran (walked) the Yukon Arctic Ultra (100 mile race).

In 2013 he was a medical officer for Extreme Everest, based in Pheriche for the season. This was followed by an extended period out of training during which time he worked as a critical care retrieval doctor in Darwin, a ski field medic in New Zealand and was a clinical fellow in pre-hospital care and emergency medicine in Bangor. Recently, he has been the medic on several trips to Namibia and has worked for Exile medics, providing ultramarathon support for the Jungle Ultra in Peru and, on three occasions, for the Ice Ultra in Northern Sweden.

He is a holder of the DIMM and the DTMH and plans to sit the Dip IMC in the near future.

Hannah Kittson – Emergency Medicine Registrar

Hannah Kittson, Emergency Medicine Registrar Hannah is an Emergency Medicine Registrar in the East of England, but mostly wishes she was in the mountains. She is a qualified Mountain Leader, and aspirant International Mountain Leader, having been involved in expeditions with school groups for many years.

When she’s not working on her Diplomas in Mountain Medicine and Tropical Medicine, you can find Hannah involved in providing medical cover for multiple, often remote, outdoor sports events including ultra-marathons, open water swimming, triathlons and mountain biking. If that’s not enough, when she’s not in the mountains, Hannah will often be found at Silverstone where she works regularly as a motorsport doctor.

Luca Alfatti, Senior Paramedic, Expedition Leader and Remote Paramedic

Luca Alfatti, WEM faculty Luca is a HCPC registered Senior Paramedic Team Leader, who holds a BSc (Hons) in Paramedic Practice and is currently undertaking a masters in Advanced Practice.

In addition to this he is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Wilderness Expedition Medicine Faculty Member, PHTLS instructor, Mountain Leader and Water Rescue Technician. Luca is also a HEFAT instructor, delivering hostile environment training to journalists both in the UK, before deployment and in country, during deployment. He also works as a volunteer and fundraiser with Team Rubicon, which is a disaster response humanitarian organisation working both in the UK and overseas.

Luca had always dreamed of travelling EVERYWHERE and in 2005 he eventually drove his own Ford Probe from New York City to Panama City and has never looked back! Luca became an overland driver and mechanic and during this time worked and travelled in over 100 countries across 5 continents. In 2015, Luca was then looking for a new venture and qualified as a Paramedic, with a view to combining this with his love of travel. In the last 5 years he has lead expeditions in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Chad – to mention a few! Thanks to all those years working on the road his dedication was recognised, with him winning the Wanderlust Expedition Leader of the Year Award in 2012 and awarded a bursary, which he used to set up a sustainable, income generating, community project in Antigua, Guatemala to support women and their children who have been victims of domestic abuse. This project continues to run to this day.

Luca’s work has featured in magazines including Trek and Mountains and Adventure Travel, as well as National Geographic Traveller, which featured his world first crossing of the Dash e Lut Desert, in Iran, in 2015. He is currently writing a publication for Paramedic Insight narrating his experience as an expedition medic, for an unsupported winter snow shoe crossing of Spitzbergen.

Luca does not only lead all his trips but, has often designed the trips himself and acts as either expedition leader/medic or both.

Join us this March in Keswick; learn with this incredibly experienced and knowledgeable team, and be part of something amazing. Book your place today!

Other blogs that may be of interest, include:

How far and to what extent can we treat injuries on an expedition?

12th December 2019WEM Marketing DeptUncategorisedNo Commentsexpedition medicine, medicine

How far can we treat injuries on an expedition?
To what extent can we treat injuries on an expedition?

Interesting questions, and ones that our expert faculty are constantly asked when on one of our training courses and workshops. It’s the ‘million dollar question’, and the answers often given will of course vary depending on the injury, your environment and the resources you have to hand.

But, one way to think about this is by using the anagram ‘Don’t Eat All Of A Cow’ or for the vegetarian/vegans out there ‘Don’t Eat Any Of A Cow’ (DEAOAC) as used by leading expedition dentist and WEM faculty Burjor Langdana. He uses this anagram to discuss injuries on expeditions and more specifically when asked “How far and to what extent can we treat dental issues / facial trauma on an expedition? We do not have much dental or maxillofacial experience”, but ‘DEAOAC’ can actually have a wider application across all medicine.

D – Develop
Develop your toolbox by attending courses, lectures and workshops. Absorb as many practical tips and as much knowledge as possible of anything and everything – it all adds to your skillset.

E – Exercise
Exercise and practice at every opportunity, as by gaining more experience you’ll be able to develop new or previously dormant skills. It’s also a great idea to get friendly with the MaxFax department (or other relevant team) at your local hospital and also your local dentist to gather further insights and experience.

A – Assess
Assess the situation that faces you on the expedition and think carefully about what you are facing and how best to deal with the situation using the limited resources you have. The main objective is to get the patient in a stable enough condition, so they are able to travel and seek further medical attention, whether that be with you or via MediVac.

O – Options
There will be treatment options available which you should discuss with your patient, colleagues and the rest of the team. This will keep everyone in the loop, help you think aloud your plan of action and it also lets the patient know what is happening and why. By communicating clearly and effectively it puts you in control of the situation and should keep the patient and those treating them calm enough so as not to panic.

A – Accept
In a quite possibly remote and austere location with limited resource, now is the time to accept and fully understand your own limits of what you can and can’t do.

C – Comfort
Now is the time to stay within your comfort zone. How much you stretch yourself will depend on various factors, including the situation, the expedition environment you are in and the seriousness of the injury. Call on the help of others around you and have confidence in your own ability – get the basics right first!

Burjor says: “It’s actually a decreasing circle. Pre-expedition you may have developed a huge toolbox attending various training programmes and acquiring new skills. However, from this you may be able to practice and develop only a few skills, and out of those few skills, there will be even less that you regard as ‘within my limits’. Out of these, there will be fewer still that will ‘fit within your comfort zone’, and this zone will vary according to the environment, your fitness level, speed and the possibility of MediVac. You may be tempted to stretch (or not) your comfort zone depending on these factors.”

The interesting point Burjor is making, is the bigger the toolbox you start off with, the deeper your comfort zone will be in the stressful environment of an expedition. If you are fully prepared, have enhanced your learning and used every opportunity to observe, experience and practise those skills, you will feel more confident in your own ability to face any challenges that come up on an expedition. With this confidence you’ll be able to proficiently assess, stabilise, manage and treat your patient, which will lead to an improved patient outcome.

For further specific expedition dentistry resources and information from Burjor and his team, you can visit www.wildernessdentistry.com

Interested in developing a medical career in Extreme Medicine?

WEM’s exciting selection of expedition, wilderness and remote medicine courses offers you a fully immersive training experience into what it means to be an expedition medic.
The annual WEM Conference features some of the world’s leading speakers and as well as a host of worthwhile and relevant workshops.
The University of Exeter Medical School MSc in Extreme Medicine allows for a modular study program as well as offering full-time and part-time study.

Meet the team behind our NEW and exciting Alpine Medicine course

7th November 2019WEM Marketing DeptExpedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Medicine, Expedition Nursing, mountain medicineNo CommentsAlpine medicine, expedition medicine, mountain medicine, WEM Faculty

Our outstanding teaching faculty for the NEW and exciting Alpine Medicine training expedition course taking place in the stunning Julian Alps in Slovenia brings with them a huge array of Everest, Polar and Mountain Rescue experience. They are perfectly placed to share their unique knowledge and skills with you and ensure by the time you leave this course you will have an inclusive understanding of winter mountaineering skills, advanced expedition medicine skills, altitude and cold weather medicine.

Meet the expert team who will be delivering an unrivalled syllabus of expedition medicine content:

Dr Rich Wain-Hobson – Alpine Medicine Course Lead

Dr Rich Wain-Hobson - WEM faculty Born in a dark corner of North Wales, Rich spent his childhood exploring Snowdonia with his Dad. An offer to study at Peninsula Medical School took him to the South West, and he hasn’t looked back.

Since then he has developed an interest in expedition and remote medicine which has seen him planning, supporting and leading expeditions in over 60 countries, including both polar regions.

He spends every spare moment outside climbing, ski touring, mountain biking, and surfing. He has spent a winter season in Austria and the Southern Alps of New Zealand, as well as other notable adventures such as bouncing down Africa in an old Land Rover, multi-day dog sledding in Arctic Norway, being one of the first people to mountain bike in the Simien mountains in Ethiopia, and driving from Western Ireland to Eastern Siberia for charity.

Rich has studied Tropical Medicine at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and has worked in hospitals in Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Nepal, as well as Sri Lanka after the tsunami. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and has a passion for encouraging others to explore and enjoy the outdoors.

Rich has just got back from a year in NZ and is looking forwards to pastures new… He is currently working as a GP and an EM Middle Grade doctor.

Dr Isla Madeleine Wormald – Emergency Medicine Specialist Registrar

Dr Isla Madeleine Wormald - WEM faculty Isla is a Yorkshire lass living in Sheffield, UK where she is a locum Emergency Medicine SpR.

She was formerly doctor for the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association & GB Junior Lead Climbing & Bouldering Teams.

Born & raised by two teacher parents, an enthusiasm for education runs in her blood and in addition to being a WEM faculty member, Isla is an AWLS instructor & helped deliver the first UIAA / ICAR / ISMM Nepal DiMM.

Isla’s expedition medicine experience includes:

Doctor for BSES Arctic Adventure 2011 expedition to Svalbard
CMO for Leeds Metropolitan University Himalayan Research Expedition 2011
SMO for BSES Arctic Odyssey 2012 Expedition to Loppa Peninsula of Norway
Challenge Medic for three Action Challenge Kilimanjaro Summit Challenges
Doctor for Action Challenge “London 2 Paris 24” 2013
CMO for Medex Manaslu 2015 Expedition
Challenge Doctor for Skyline Events Great Wall Discovery Trek 2018
Doctor for Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions 2019

Isla has a passion for outdoor pursuits and can usually be found scaling snow-capped peaks or undertaking pedal-powered adventures! She is a holder of the Mountain Training Association Summer Mountain Leader & PADI Open Water Diver awards and is an aspirant Winter Mountain Leader & British Association of International Mountain Leaders International Mountain Leader.

Hannah Kittson, Emergency Medicine Registrar

When she’s not working on her Diploma in Mountain Medicine and Tropical Medicine, you can find Hannah involved in providing medical cover for multiple, often remote, outdoor sports events including ultra-marathons, open water swimming, triathlons and mountain biking.

If that’s not enough, when she’s not in the mountains, Hannah will often be found at Silverstone where she works regularly as a motorsport doctor.

Join us in February 2021; learn with this incredibly experienced and knowledgeable team, and be part of something amazing. Book your place today!

Other blogs that may be of interest, include:

Alpine Medicine Course: take your medical career in a new direction

29th October 2019WEM Marketing DeptAlpine Medicine, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Expedition Nursing, mountain medicineNo CommentsAlpine medicine, expedition, expedition medicine, mountain medicine, training course

If you’re a medic keen to support expeditions in cold, mountainous environments or simply be better prepared for your own winter mountain adventures then our exciting 6-day Alpine Medicine training expedition, in the stunning Julian Alps is for you!

Making the most of the winter conditions, this comprehensive medical training expedition brings together likeminded medics from a variety of backgrounds and career stages all sharing the same common desire – to bring more adventure into their careers and blend their passion for travel, adventure and the great outdoors with their medical skills.

This course blends winter mountaineering skills, advanced expedition medicine skills, altitude and cold weather medicine through a mix of engaging short, focused lectures and hands-on intense case-based scenarios. Throughout the course you will be encouraged in new ways of thinking and new approaches to problem solving as well as challenging your abilities to adapt to unpredictable situations – a must-have when taking on any type of expedition.

We’ll start by getting to know each other during a big kit session, discussing the benefits and drawbacks of different items, what to pack and how to best equip yourself for you adventures. Over the next two days you’ll learn essential clinical skills and environmental factors specific to cold and mountainous environments, this learning will be interspersed with simulation exercises. As your skill and adaptability within the exercises grows, so will the complexity of the tasks.

Midway through the course we will travel to Vogel ski area for a full day of avalanche training and snow science with world-class IFMGA Guides. Here you’ll learn about the types of avalanches, how they form and release, avalanche terrain, decision making and route planning, and the essential skills needed for avalanche rescue.

The final two days of the course will take us out into the mountains including an overnight stay at Dom na Komni (a Komna hut). This mini-expedition phase will include the opportunity to learn or enhance your technical mountain skills from some of Slovenia’s best guides. During this phase you’ll also have further opportunities to run through simulation exercises, bringing together everything you have learnt over the week.

By the end of the course you’ll have learnt a wide range of mountain skills and expedition mountain medicine, but most importantly you’ll be better equipped to deal with emergency situations in remote mountain areas.

Where else in the world could you receive such hands-on experience, be part of a unique learning opportunity and have an adventure of a lifetime. To find out more and to experience our Alpine Medicine course for yourself, please click here.

Take your EXTREME medical career to the next level – book your place today!
_______________________________________

Other blogs that may be of interest, include:

Alpine Medicine Course: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

24th October 2019WEM Marketing DeptAlpine Medicine, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Expedition Nursing, mountain medicineNo CommentsAlpine medicine, expedition medicine, mountain medicine, slovenia

We asked our remarkable WEM faculty, many of who have a depth of experience, living and working in the most remote corners of the world, achieving notable success in the face of extreme challenge and adversity the most frequently asked questions they get asked regarding our Alpine Medicine course.

What will I learn?
The main focus of the medical content will be around casualty care in winter mountain and alpine settings. You’ll learn essentials skills for assessing and treating patients, mechanisms of injury, scene safety and evacuation. Much of your learning will happen through hands on scenarios which will evolve in complexity as the course progresses, this will be backed up with lecture content and essential mountain skills, including a full day of avalanche training with world-class IFMGA guides.

Do I need to be a skier to attend?
No, the majority of past participants have not been experienced backcountry skiers. For those that have the skills, we are often able to supply skis and boots to allow you the chance to have some fun on the mountain.

Will ‘normal’ skiing clothing be ok?
Your typical piste skiing kit won’t be appropriate for this course due to the conditions and activity you’ll be doing out on the mountains. When ascending mountains, you’ll work up quite a sweat and so will need adaptable layers, high quality base layers, thin fleeces and a high quality shell layer is best. Once you stop moving, you’ll want a warm down or synthetic jacket to keep you nice and toasty. It’s important to ensure you are adequately equipped to deal with the cold conditions.

I’ve not done one of your courses before, can I still join?
This all comes down to your own experience – if you’re a competent hillwalker/climber with good knowledge of kit, navigation and are capable of looking after yourself in a remote setting, then yes.

Ok, so I don’t have those skills, what should I do?
Our four or five-day Expedition & Wilderness Medicine courses are a great introduction as a first-timer to a remote medicine course. You’ll also want to clock up some time improving your outdoor skills, with navigation as your number one priority. Safely being able to navigate your way through an adventure, or out of trouble, will allow you to push into more demanding terrain and face more challenging conditions.

I’m new to medicine is this for me?
If you love the outdoors, especially mountainous environments then yes. Our practical workshops and simulated exercises throughout the course will bring a new level of challenge due to the environment and limited resources, so anything you can do to boost your confidence in high pressure and emergency settings the better.

Do we get to summit any mountains?
We are hoping to build in that kind of objective, but this depends on many factors. While we aim to pack as much adventure as we can into our courses, we recognise that the biggest value is in the training itself. If you’d like to extend your stay for your own adventures we work with the fantastic people at www.triglavguides.com for all our Slovenia based adventures who would be happy to help you.

If you want to open up your medical career and mix adventure into your career, then this is the course for you!

To find out more information about our Alpine Medicine course or to book your place on what we promise will be an incredibly inspiring 6 days in Slovenia, please click here.

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Other blogs that may be of interest, include:

Dramatic Heli-Evacuation and Mountain Rescue in Nepal

16th October 2019Nickmountain medicineNo Commentsexpedition medicine, heli evacuation, mountain medicine, mountain medicine in nepal, Mountain Rescue in Nepal, Nepal

Nepal is considered as a land of helicopters.
In the space of just two years, over 450 helicopters have landed on the heli roof of the Nepal Mediciti Hospital undertaking mountain rescue in Nepal.

On Friday 19th July, the Nepal Mediciti Hospital received a call for a heli-evacuation like no other.

This is the story, as told by Dr Sanjaya Karki:

The patient, Mr Somasundaram aged 74 and a doctor himself, suddenly fell sick in Tibet and was taken to the local hospital where medics ascertained the severity of his illness – his GCS was poor and hemodynamically unstable and most of the blood parameters were not in place. Family members were worried and wanted to take the patient back to Malaysia. However, transport home was no easy task – a trip home would be full of risks for both patient and the attending medics.

On 20th July, the Mediciti-HEMS team including team leader Dr Sanjaya Karki and head paramedic Mr.Ramesh Neupane, were ready to be deployed. By this stage, the patient was on a mechanical ventilator due to the deterioration of the condition.

The plan was to transfer a ventilated case all the way from Tibet to Hilsha by the Chinese doctors. The responsibility of the Nepalese team was to transfer the patient from Hilsha to Kathmandu via Helicopter and handover to the air ambulance, led by a Singaporean doctor who would transfer the case from Ktm to Malaysia.

From Nepal Mediciti, the flight was straightforward enough- the team made it to Surkhet in under two hours, refuelled and headed on to Hilsha. By the time the Nepalese team reached Hilsha, the patient was in a critical condition. He was on mechanical ventilator and pressure support with other supportive medications in 4 syringe pumps.

The intention was to take off for Kathmandu as soon as the team shifted the patient from the Chinese ambulance to the customised helicopter ambulance. However, as the team headed backand reached Dang valley, the weather turned and they were not able to move forward.

With conditions worsening, the team had to figure out a solution in order to try and save the patient’s life.

***

After a brief consultation with the patient’s family, the team decided to transport the patient to Kohalpur medical college. The team were told that Emergency and Intensive Care Unit doctors were standing by on the helipad, ready to receive the patient.

The patient’s condition was deteriorating quickly but the team were thwarted yet again by the weather, forcing another diversion towards Nepalgunj Airport. A second delay created problems of its own, as the batteries supporting the ventilator and cardiac monitor were drained and oxygen was running low.

After an hour waiting at Nepalgunj airport, the team set off again and finally landed on Kohalpur Medical College. The patient was successfully shifted to I.C.U and treatment was continued overnight. The following morning, with weather improving, the patient was taken back to the heli-ambulance to continue the arduous journey. At around 1pm, the team reached Tribhuwan International Airpot at Kathmandu, from which the Singaporean Air Ambulance was ready to transport him to Malaysia. After 28 hours of travel, the patient was in the helicopter that would carry him back to his homeland.

***

Nepal Mediciti, although still relatively in it’s infancy, has been operating for many years providing mountain rescue in Nepal and rescue services to hundreds of patients, but for Sanjaya Karki, this case was different

“The involvement of medical teams from China, Nepal, Singapore and Malaysia, health care techniques provided by those teams, not being able to reach our destination on time which forced us to opt for alternate measures through rescue and the time invested in it were the major factors that made this mountain rescue in Nepal different . But whatever was the time and situation, the coordination and decisions we made in that emergency condition of rescue and treatment of the patient turned beneficial which made this mission of mediciti hospital a huge success”.

***

Dr Sanjaya Karki, former winner of the prestigious David Weil Extreme Medicine Award.

Other blogs that may be of interest, include:

Winners of the ‘David Weil Extreme Medicine Award’ (DWEMA) 2014.

Heli-Rescue Operation in Chitwan National Park, Nepal.

Expedition Medicine: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

1st May 2019WEM Marketing DeptExpedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicineNo CommentsEWM training courses, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, expedition medicine, expeditions

What content do you cover in the Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course?
This comprehensive foundation course covers a broad range of topics over the course of the 4 days of expedition medicine blending engaging lecture content with hands on practical workshops ending on the last day with a real-time search and rescue simulation. Attending the course will teach you the key skills essential to all expedition medics including:

Pre-expedition planning
Security on expeditions
Climate specific lectures
Group management, behaviour and CRM
Expedition dentistry
Mental health on expeditions
Hill skills
Wound care

Are these courses just for doctors?
No, expedition medicine opportunities are open to a wide range of medical professionals although doctors, nurses and paramedics are the most common roles advertised for. The good news is this list is growing as the range of practitioner roles within healthcare grows. We have also found that as the expedition world evolves and groups with more complex needs are commonly taking part in expeditions, the range of healthcare providers required can be incredibly varied.

Do I need experience?
No experience required, you’ll find on the course there is a huge mix of people with various degrees of expedition and travel experience. Throughout the course we’ll be discussing what skills are needed to build and make yourself a great expedition medic, but above all a great expedition team member or even leader. All we ask from you to really gain the most from this experience is a positive mindset and a thirst for adventure.

Do we get outside much?
Absolutely, we try and spend half the day outside so we can replicate real-life expedition conditions as much as possible. Typically this is come rain or shine, adverse conditions are all part of what makes expedition medicine so exciting, splinting a leg while dealing with soggy boots, soaking wet waterproofs, mud, driving rain, wind and on uneven ground is great fun…there again it could be lovely sunny t-shirt weather, you never can predict these things in the mountains. It’s uncommon to get enough time to stray too far into the hills so we suggest that people add another day or two to really enjoy the local environment. Plas y Brenin for example has a view of Snowdon from the bar and dining area, with the mountain in view it would be a shame not to set a few hours aside to get up there.

I’ve got a trip planned; will we be able to discuss it?
Yes, absolutely it’s actively encouraged and part of what are highly experienced faculty are here to help you with! We encourage as much interaction as possible; you can ask questions at any time and workshops session are highly interactive. Our team is with you all week and are always happy to chat about upcoming adventures, we find that breaks and meals are a great time to sit down and chat with the team about your plans.

If you want to open up your medical career and mix adventure into your career then this Expedition Medicine course is for you!

To find out more information about our Expedition Medicine courses or to book your place on what we promise will be an incredibly inspiring few days, please click here.

Other blogs that may be of interest, include:

Interested in diving even deeper?

International Diploma and MSc Program in Extreme Medicine at Exeter University Medical School. Modular with part-time and full-time options.

4 excellent reasons to choose our renowned Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course

24th April 2019WEM Marketing DeptExpedition & Wilderness MedicineNo Commentsexpedition and wilderness medicine course, expedition medicine

If you’re a medic with a passion for adventure and travel looking to enhance your career then one of our internationally renowned Expedition and Wilderness Medicine courses is for you!

This comprehensive introductory training course in expedition and wilderness medicine brings together likeminded medics from a variety of backgrounds and career stages all sharing the same common desire – to bring more adventure into their careers and blend their passion for travel, adventure and the great outdoors with their medical skills. Our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine courses provides a good basic entry level into expedition medicine for those with no or little experience just beginning their extreme medicine journey. It’s also equally as useful for those who have previously been on expeditions as medics but are now wanting to add more strings to their bow.

With a 50/50 mix of engaging lecture content and hands on practical group work taking place over the first 3 days and evenings spent socialising, taking on challenge tasks and special guest lectures, the final day will focus on a search and rescue scenario where you’ll combine all your newly learnt skills to locate, rescue, treat and evacuate a casualty. Throughout the course you will be encouraged in new ways of thinking and new approaches to problem solving as well as challenging your abilities to adapt to unpredictable situations – a must-have when taking on any type of expedition.

4 excellent reasons to choose our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course:

Earn CPD credits and further your career – add more adventure to your career and bring new challenges by learning and enhancing your knowledge and skill set to ensure you are in the best possible position to further your career. For those attending and completing the course, accreditation will be offered (we estimate 24 hours of CPD) through the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Expedition and Wilderness topics explained – across the 4 days you’ll cover a broad range of topics including expedition planning, security, managing difficult people, dentistry, climate specific lectures, hill skills as well as having the unique opportunity to hear inspiring ‘real-life’ stories from the WEM faculty.
Practical hands on experience – throughout your time with us, there will be practical workshops on field-proven techniques to inspire and enhance your skills; helping you to become a more effective and highly valued practitioner of expedition and wilderness medicine.
Expert faculty – between them our remarkable expert team have a depth of knowledge and experience, living and working in the most remote corners of the world, achieving notable success in the face of extreme challenge and adversity.

If you needed any more reason to join us on our next course and take your career to the extreme, you might be interested to know Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course alumni have left to take part in expeditions across the globe, responded to natural disasters and emergencies and have gained placements with organisations such as Raleigh International, UK-Med, Team Rubicon and Médecins Sans Frontières.

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

I’ve literately spent my last 4 days messing around on hills and learning some expedition medicine. Would recommend ‘Expedition and Wilderness Medicine’ course from @ExpedMedicine to anyone who is interested in working outside of the hospital or GP practice.

George, 2019 Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course attendee

Take your first steps to becoming an expedition medic that could see you travelling the world, simply choose your preferred dates and location and book your place today!

March 2020 – Keswick
May 2020 – Plas y Brenin
October 2020 – Corfe Castle
Oct 2020 – Slovenia

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Other blogs that may be of interest, include:

#BeExtreme

Jungle Medicine Training Course – Dr Alex Rowe reports..

22nd January 2019MCSExpedition Doctor, Jungle, Jungle medicineNo Commentsexpedition medicine, Expedition Medicine course, Jungle medicine, Jungle Medicine Training Course

Jungle Medicine Training Course in Costa Rica…

Pristine rain forest and verdant jungles are a huge attraction as travel locations. Recently I was lucky enough to travel to Costa Rica to instruct on the World Extreme Medicine Jungle Medicine Training Course* course where we spent seven days trekking and living in the jungle along the Pacuare River. There are many hazards that we need to anticipate when travelling in these areas, including sourcing safe water and avoiding local dangerous wildlife. One hazard that is ever present is insects-they are everywhere and determined to get their fill of humans. These insects don’t just cause bites, they can also transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and tick-borne encephalitis. The density of insects is incredible and is something that is obvious every time you turn on your head torch at night. So how do we discourage all these flying and crawling critters from enjoying Michelin starred human dining?

Bite avoidance is key and there are several areas to consider. The first is clothing. It is very tempting to wear shorts and a T-shirt given the heat, however, this is the first mistake many people make. Ensure you have lightweight, light coloured, quick-drying long-sleeved shirts and long trousers. Even better is to source clothing that is impregnated with the insect repellent Permethrin. Once you wearing your long clothing, button up the cuffs and tuck your trousers into your socks or wear gaiters. I made the mistake of not closing off the bottom of my trouser legs one day, and only realised the consequences when I felt dozens of painful biting pinpricks on the backs of my legs from the ants that had climbed onto my boots and made their way upwards.

Second is a good mosquito net– I never travel to tropical areas without one and the security if brings you when you are trying to sleep, knowing you don’t have to do the naked run to find the whining mosquito that is after my blood. This also applies to hammocks- ideally, if you are sleeping in a hammock, use one with a built-in mosquito net. There is nothing nicer than getting into a hammock knowing you have an impregnable mosquito net, and you can go to sleep safe in the knowledge that despite all the noise, they cannot get to you.

Thirdly is insect repellent. I am an insect attractant and use as many methods as possible to avoid getting bitten, however, some people appear to have good results from citronella sprays and wrist bands. It may be they are just not as tasty to the critters! The gold standard repellent is DEET, and this comes in varying concentrations up to 100% Max Strength Kill Anything Jungle Juice. People vary in their tolerance to DEET, and it is worth experimenting with different strengths to see what your skin will accept. It is worth spraying clothing as well as any bare skin, concentrating on the gaps at wrists, ankles and neck. Other repellents to consider are permethrin and picaridin based, and it is thought these may be better for repelling ticks.

If you do get bitten, you can take a regular dose of a pharmacy over the counter antihistamine tablet. These reduce itching and inflammation, as well as being useful to take regularly if you are in an insect-laden area and want to avoid strong bite reactions.

Get out there and enjoy these incredible places, and stay comfortable in the knowledge you have done everything to avoid those irritating and sometimes harmful bites and maybe join World Extreme Medicine on their famous Jungle Medicine Training Course in Costa Rica!

Author:
Dr Alexander Rowe
World Extreme Medicine Conference Speaker

* First published on Lifesystems website
*Jungle Medicine forms a module on the International Diploma/ MSc in Extreme Medicine offered by Exeter University Medical School
*CPD provided by the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh)

Further resources:

Jungle Medicine Training Course in Costa Rica an exciting and comprehensive course for all those medical professionals responsible for clients, patients or team members in a tropical or jungle environment.

Further reading:

Adventure is good for your medical career…

Former Special Forces Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox joins the WEMski faculty!

17th October 2017MCSWEMSkiNo Commentsexpedition medicine, Italian Alps, WEMski

Source: Channel 4

WOW… WEMski 2018 really is shaping up to be one incredible event; not only have we snapped up Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards, but we’re excited to announce that WEMski will also be playing host to ex-Special Forces veteran Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox.

Recognised most widely for instructing civilians through the SAS selection process on the Channel 4 reality series SAS: Who Dares Wins, Jason’s illustrious career began when he was 16 years old. After enlisting in the Royal Marine Commandos, he then went on to pass the gruelling 6-month selection process to enter the Special Forces, where he spent the remainder of his time in the military as an SF operator for the Special Boat Service (SBS). During his time with the forces, he conducted numerous roles across real-time operations across the globe, ranging from Sergeant Team Leader, dog handler, demolitions expert and combat swimmer, to counter terrorist expert and bodyguard, before leaving in 2012.

Jason’s time is now split between being a TV and film consultant, and the charity he co-founded called Rock 2 Recovery, which helps armed forces personnel, veterans and their families in dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He also travels around the world as a keynote speaker, as well as running a company that provides Special Forces experiences to the corporate world.

This wealth of experience will be invaluable to those attending the WEMski event, to which Jason will be bringing his vast real-world knowledge. Delegates will learn about the physical and psychological challenges in extreme pressurised environments, building emotional resilience in the face of adversity, the virtues of strong leadership in hostile locations, plus much more.

We are very excited to have Jason on board this January, and we’re sure that those of you attending will learn more than you bargained for… though don’t fret, that won’t include discovering whether you can undergo the punishing Special Forces selection process.

You will, however, be part of a select gathering of people for a week of inspiration, networking, learning and a healthy dose of ski-therapy on the slopes!

Book your WEMski ticket today!

If you are a non-skier there are lessons to be booked and a host of other pretty amazing facilities to keep you busy!

MBE for WEM co-founder Dr Sean Hudson

19th June 2017MCSExpedition & Wilderness MedicineDr Sean Hudson, expedition medicine, MBE

It is with great pleasure we share with you the news that WEM (formerly Expedition & Wilderness Medicine) co-founder Dr Sean Hudson was awarded a MBE in the summer honours by Her Majesty the Queen

‘Member of the Order of the British Empire Dr Sean Hudson Co-founder, Expedition and Wilderness Medicine and Medical Lead, UKMed, Cumbria. For services to Providing Medical Aid and Education’..

WEM has long striven to provide the highest benchmarks in the delivery of Expedition Medicine and Remote Medical Care and we honoured that this has been acknowledged in such a prestigious manner.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2804694

About us

World Extreme Medicine, formerly ‘Expedition and Wilderness Medicine’, is the world’s leading provider of expedition, wilderness and remote medicine training courses for medical professionals as well as an International Diploma in Expedition Medicine and a gold-standard MSc program in Extreme Medicine.

WEM was born out of expeditions over 25 years ago, and whilst we have changed and grown, we continue to lead the way in outstanding and inspirational expedition medicine training. Alongside exciting training, we also offer extensive consultancy and medical support for projects across the globe.

Our Expedition Medicine courses provide medical professionals with the expert knowledge and practical skills needed to become a valuable member of an expedition or remote medical team. Courses range from our ‘Core’ modules, which teach a wide range of extreme medicine topics with essential skills workshops, to our ‘Specialised’ courses which offer an immersive environment specific learning experience based in incredible locations across the world. See the full range here…

All of our courses are open to doctors, nurses, paramedics and other medical professionals providing medical cover in remote or austere environments. Students and non-medics are encouraged to discuss any training needs directly with the office team.

If you have a project you’d like help with please get in touch HERE.

Expecting the unexpected, being an expedition doctor by Dr Alex Rowe

26th September 2016MCSExpedition & Wilderness MedicineDr Alex Rowe, expedition medicine, extreme medicine, medical director, wilderness medic

Expecting the unexpected, writes WEM Medical Director Dr Alex Rowe

In life one thing is certain you will encounter situations that you could not anticipate no matter how much you plan. In expedition medicine one of the challenges is dealing with these when away from the security of a well staffed and secure environment, in fact you could say that meeting these challenges is part of what makes it so interesting.

Imagine you are travelling with an expedition group as their doctor. You are travelling to Nepal to undertake a Himalayan high altitude trek everything is planned meticulously. You’ve undertaken medical kit sourcing, researched the local area and formulated evacuation plans, revised management of high altitude conditions, spoken to local guides and are happy that you have all the emergency communications systems you need.

You are driving along the mountain pass and there is a sudden, loud bang and the coach in front of yours swerves, breaking through a rickety crash barrier, careering down the bank into a small river where the coach rolls onto its side. The inside of the coach is chaos with debris everywhere and you can hear the screams as you survey the scene. You also know the nearest hospital is three hours’ drive away.

Your mind switches into processing mode to analyse this chaotic scene, formulate a plan, delegate then get on with the job- it’s what we’ve always done and somehow our minds find a powerful focus in the most dramatic situations. Key to this is organising the response to achieve the best outcome for the most people. Decision making is at the core of how we practice medicine and we base these decisions on previous experience, prior learning, teams we have worked with, great leaders and a certain X factor originating from common sense and lateral thinking.

Another aspect of medical training is the emphasis on the role of the team and in general most doctors are capable of functioning as valuable team members because we are taught the importance of listening, empathy and compassion when we are looking after our patients and how to treat them as human beings, rather than just numbers with problems and solutions. As our medical personalities evolve, our human personalities are also shaped.

I started my medical career in anaesthetics and emergency medicine before going into general practice and the longer I practice medicine, the more I understand the importance of communication and consultation skills. I also work as a pre hospital care doctor where empathy, compassion and communication has never been more important as we manage major trauma. We are taught that we can even ease pain purely with compassion, kindness and talking to our patient. Drugs help of course!

So how does this fit into Expedition and Extreme Medicine? Groups of people are fascinating to watch and interact with. Put those people into more challenging environments and out of their comfort zones, and suddenly true colours are revealed as the sub conscious primitive brain takes over and starts to govern what is shown to the outside world. As an expedition medic, we are in the same challenging environment, yet how do we control ourselves when we are undertaking the same challenges as the people involved, then switching into doctor mode when we are as tired, hungry and possibly as scared as the rest of the group. Conventional medical training can give us the foundation to operate in this challenging environment.

I have been working with a great team developing the Human Factors Module for the Extreme Medicine Post Graduate Programme. Human factors are what allow us to perform and do our job when others are struggling. Self-awareness, situational awareness and group awareness allow us to process the global picture when groups are under pressure, and should enable us to stand back from the scene and make functional and rational decisions. We are not alone though and it is a skill to recognise and utilise the group members who can work with us. Task and environment specific skills such as management of altitude illness will always be vital, however it’s the softer skills that help us stand out, perform as accepted leaders and take control when stuff starts hitting the fan.

Extreme Medicine in Scotland

30th August 2016MCSExpedition & Wilderness MedicineDisaster & Humanitarian Medicine, edinburgh, expedition medicine, extreme medicine, scotland, space medic

Scotland – world-renowned for scientific medical excellence thanks to pioneers including microbiologist Alexander Fleming, the chemist Thomas Graham, best known for his leading work in dialysis and Joseph Lister, the “Father of Antiseptic Surgery” transformed surgical practice – will be home to a pioneering medical conference this November.

Taking place from Friday November 18 – 21, at Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Gait, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS the World Extreme Medicine Expo involves over 100 world-renowned medical experts – from surgeons and paramedics to astronauts – sharing their specialty, medical practice conducted away from the comfort of a typical hospital setting.

Four core disciplines are covered – disaster and humanitarian medicine, extreme, expedition and space medicine, human endurance and sports medicine plus prehospital medicine.

World Extreme Medicine Founder Mark Hannaford said, “Our mission is to break down barriers, build bridges and make connections within the extreme medicine community. We are honoured to host the most incredible line up of speakers who are willing to share their learnings, working at the very top of their profession.

“The event is also an amazing showcase for the wonderful diversity of careers in medicine and proof that a fulfilling career can be found outside of a traditional hospital environment. My belief is that there’s never been a more exciting time to work in medicine and the fascinating presentations will prove that point.”

Speakers include the elite sports expert, Edinburgh-based DrAndrew Murray who has worked for the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth games. He ran 4,300 km from Scotland to the Sahara Desert and completed a husky trek in -40C in Outer Mongolia.

micheal barrett An exploration of the challenges faced when a solar storm hits your space shuttle will be examined by Dr Michael Barratt who spent 199 days as the Chief Medical Officer on the International Space Station. He is passionate about the adapted physiology of people in space.

Disaster Medicine is a more down to earth theme, which is largely covered on the first day of the conference. Mark Hannaford continues, “We have speakers from many aid agencies including Natalie Roberts from Médecins Sans Frontières and Arij Boureslan-Skelton from Save The Children. We’re pleased to have many speakers representing UK-Med, the UK’s disaster and emergency trauma response team, founded by Tony Redmond,who’s also speaking. Speakers, including Sean Hudson, Eoin Walker, Chrissy and Roger Alcock have deployed with UK-Med in response to disasters including the earthquake in Nepal and Typhoon Haiyan**.** We have chosen Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as our charity of the year and the leading vascular surgeon Dr David Nottwill speak about their work on the first day. Our speakers will share human stories behind the traumatic news headlines.”

The prehospital care programme involves an incredible case of a young woman who suffered a coronary heart attack while walking in London’s Oxford Street. Luckily for her, senior paramedic Eoin Walker from London’s Ambulance Cycle Response Team was close by and saved her life. There will not be a dry eye in the auditorium when Zoë Hitchcock tells her life-changing story.

Mark Hannaford concludes, “We are thrilled to be bringing 100 speakers to Edinburgh at an exciting event attended by 800 doctors, nurses, paramedics, surgeons and medical students. New medical research findings will be shared, so that the World Extreme Medicine event will be making history, following in the footsteps of the scientific giants who are now household names.”

WEM News: Incredible course faculty, new WEM clothing and more!

6th May 2016MCSExpedition & Wilderness Medicineexpedition medicine, extreme medicine, mark hannaford, pre hospital trauma, WEM, wilderness medic

Extreme Medicine

GLOBAL • EXPLORATION • SPACE

WEM t-shirts are on their way!

We’re finalising a few details and expecting our final samples in the next week.

Four awesome designs will be available across all sizes for in both men’s and women’s fittings. Whether you’re heading to the pub or out on an adventure out t-shirts will be suitable for all your adventures.

There’s one favour we ask, take your t-shirts everywhere and send us some pics! We want to see them up mountains, in the middle of the oceans and everywhere in between!

To get your t-shirt in the first run send us your email address here.

Zika Virus Challenge Grant

The Brazilian-Israeli-British team raised over $29,000 USD and just won the $10,000 International Zika Virus Challenge Grant, to develop a rapid diagnostic test for Zika.

Congratulations to the Zika Innovation team in Brazil including EWM Faculty, Dr Alexander Kumar

“It’s been very hard seeing and hearing stories first-hand from mothers and families whose lives have been affected by the Zika virus. A test that is reliable and affordable, but is not complicated in that it could be performed by a twelve year old, living in a resource limited setting, is a potential game changer for doctors and patients worldwide.”

Nick Bird to lead Dive Medicine!

Following Dr Nick Bird’s fantastic presentation at Extreme Expo ’15, he will now be leading the delivery of CME content on our stunning Diving & Marine Medicine course in Raja Ampat this September.

Nick currently holds two positions at Duke University, he’s a Board Member at the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society and Regional Medical Director at Duke Urgent Care. Prior to this Nick has an impressive background which includes CEO of Divers Alert Network (DAN).

This course is a truly once in a lifetime opportunity. For more information get in touch.

Pre-hospital Trauma

The pre-hospital environment can push medics out of their comfort zone and offers incredibly rewarding work.

With no two situations the same, decision making is challenged and situational awareness is key.

Join our Pre-hospital Trauma Care workshop this May and enhance your current skills or simply introduce yourself into this challenging area of medicine.

Intensive Care Medicine

Free evidence-based ICM courses at the Harefield Hospital in London, run by NHS Consultant for NHS trainees.

If this sounds like your kind of thing click HERE for more information.

New Expedition Medicine Course in Slovenia

9th January 2016MCSExpedition & Wilderness MedicineExpedition & Wilderness Medicine, expedition and wilderness medicine, Expedition Doctor, expedition medic, expedition medicine, mark hannaford, slovenia, wilderness medicine

Kicking off the year with a big announcement!

We’re super excited to bring you the first major announcement of the year – keep reading to find out the latest developments at EWM.

2016 is shaping up to be a great year and while we can’t give away too much just now, there are more big announcements on the way.

Supporting medical professionals

We’ve previously shared blogs discussing the issue of PTSD in Paramedics / EMTs in the hope that discussion can improve awareness and lead to greater support. Earlier this week we shared an article from the Guardian recounting one doctor’s experience with depression and feelings of suicide.

The reaction to this issue has been huge and we’ve since been approached by a number of people who have wanted to privately share their experiences with us.

If anyone has a story to share, has written a blog or simply knows of great support services available, please get in touch and we’d be delighted to use our many platforms to spread awareness to bring about better care for those who dedicate their lives to helping others.

Some useful resources we have found so far are:
Support 4 Doctors
BMA Counselling and Doctor Advisor Service

Keeping in touch

We know from experience that sometimes our emails don’t reach you and end up in junk mailboxes, to solve this problem simply save ‘[email protected]’ to your email address book.

If you’re booked on to a course or have sent in an enquiry and don’t seem to have heard from us, please drop us an email or give us a ring…we’re always keen to hear from you!

New Expedition Medicine Course in Slovenia

We’re taking our ever-popular UK based Expedition & Wilderness Medicine to the stunning Lake Bohinj, Slovenia, we can’t wait to get stuck in!

We’ll hold the course over five days and plan to take the challenge and excitement to the next level including, a night under the stars, more outdoor skills sessions and some surprise challenges.

Our ever popular workshops will be extended, allowing more in-depth learning with greater opportunity for Q&A sessions. Mornings are dedicated to stimulating lectures exploring many areas of expedition medicine, equipping you with the knowledge you need to tackle remote and austere environments with confidence.

For more information on this fantastic new course, get in touch with us HERE.

Where next

Our Pre-hospital Trauma Care workshop in London kicks off the year with two days of hands-on learning in London’s premier pre-hospital training facility. With a heavy focus on Crew Resource Management, you’ll come away a new understanding of how to best manage teams in extremely stressful environments when the chips are down.

Polar Medicine returns to Norway with a specialist faculty including one of the world’s leading experts in frostbite management, Professor Chris Imray. This highly practical course will challenge and excite you everyday leaving you better equipped to face the challenges of cold weather environments.

Keswick is the next location for our UK based EWM course and we can’t wait to get there. If you’re looking to put the fun back in to medicine, then look no further!

A world first. International Postgraduate Medical Degree offered in collaboration with Extreme Medicine and the University of Exeter, a World Top 100 University.

1st January 2016MCSExpedition & Wilderness Medicineexeter university], Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, expedition and wilderness, Expedition Doctor, expedition medicine, extreme, extreme medicine, mark hannaford, medicine

A world first. The Extreme Medicine International Medical Degree programme offered in collaboration with Extreme Medicine and the University of Exeter, a World Top 100 University.

We are extremely proud to be working with The University of Exeter, a world top 100 university, to deliver a credible and academically sound International postgraduate medical degree program in Extreme Medicine.

Patrons. Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Dr David Nott.

The first intake of students is scheduled for September 2016, to mirror the academic year.

Clinical governance and demonstration of core skills and competencies are core values of modern medicine and we have developed our Extreme Medicine Diploma & Masters Programme to fit with this. There is an expected consensus paper from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, and the Faculty of Prehospital Care, detailing expected competencies for providing travel and expedition medicine. The Masters Programme is designed around this curriculum for the first sixty credits and will give you a high-quality postgraduate medical diploma and MSc qualification.

Here at Extreme Medicine, we are passionate about exploring the breadth and depth of Expedition, Wilderness and Extreme Medicine and the Medical Degree Program will allow you to build a bespoke programme to fit with your interests and passion. Go to Exeter University Medical School

Recent Lancet articles have highlighted to growing interest in Extreme Medicine.

‘I am delighted that these two papers are now in press. I think they reflect many of the sentiments and thrust of the hugely successful Extreme Medicine Conferences.’ Professor Chris Imray.

So what does the Post Graduate Medical Diploma/ Masters Programme in Extreme Medicine involve?
A Post Graduate Masters programme is made up of 180 credits earned over three years. This is divided into individual years of 60 credits each. Each credit in any reputable university-based Masters Programme is equivalent to 10 hours of learning time. These hours include all reading, written work and practical work. Let’s break this down more into the individual years.

Year 1 – Post Graduate Certificate in Extreme Medicine This gives the first 60 credits and on finishing this you will be awarded The Post Graduate Certificate in Extreme Medicine (PgCert Extreme Medicine). You will have an in-depth knowledge of expedition medicine and how to reflect on your own work and also critically appraise that of others. This is the qualification that will demonstrate a sound knowledge of Expedition Medicine, and as regulation tightens, you will be able to use this to prove the required level of knowledge and skill. Some people will choose to stop at this point however, we anticipate most students will want to progress to the Diploma and MSc levels.

This first year is made up of the following core modules Introductory weekend module
This will be a key weekend to set the scene and define the learning skills needed, the work to be covered in the year and the structure of the course. This will either be based in the University of Exeter or form a preface to the Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course below; a detail to be confirmed.

Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Course module – 30 Credits
This module will provide half the credits for the PgCert and forms the bulk of the knowledge base. Students will attend a UK based Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Course at a venue of their choice. The venues are the Lake District, Snowdonia and Dartmoor; all stunning locations.

This course will be lecture and practical based and will give the basic overview needed. You will then be able to use this framework to undertake self-directed learning to expand your knowledge and learn to critically think about expedition planning and logistics. The key ethos behind Masters level learning is to be able to interpret information, critically appraise it then make informed and reasoned arguments in presented work. You will be able to demonstrate this approach in the 5000-word project where you will be given a choice of hypothetical scenarios to plan for. Successful completion of this project will award 30 credits. This will need to be an in-depth piece of work that shows a high level of thinking and planning and should go beyond just the medicine.

UK Based Trauma Course – 15 credits
The leading cause of injury and death overseas is trauma, in particular, road traffic collisions. Trauma care at the roadside is a vital skill to have and this will be taught on the established four-day Trauma Course. This trauma course is also accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

The course will cover all the important skills for trauma management at the roadside. As part of this, you will be given a short evidence research project to undertake on one aspect of trauma care that would be relevant to being an overseas medic.

Leadership and Situational Awareness Module – 15 credits
This module has been designed to provide challenge in a supportive and formative team environment. This will be a weekend on Dartmoor and will be a rolling set of overlapping challenges designed to test the application of knowledge, lateral thinking and resourcefulness. It will run from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon including an overnight on the moor. Expect the unexpected. Following this, there will be debriefing and then a short written piece. There is no pass or fail on this, however, the value will come from personal insights and reflection on these and how to apply your learning to self-development.

Year 2 – Post-Graduate Medical Diploma in Extreme Medicine – 60 credits
Using the skills you have developed in year one, you will be able to choose elective modules to learn about specific areas of Expedition Medicine in more depth. Prime examples would be High Altitude Medicine, Polar Medicine, Dive Medicine, Tropical Medicine, Medicine in Hot Environments, Leadership and Situational Awareness, Logistics, Disaster Relief, Global Health and Prehospital Trauma Care. Ideally, you would plan some form of practical experience in the fields you choose.

Each module will be assessed on your learning log and a written piece of 5000 words for each module. On successful completion of this module, you will be awarded the International Diploma in Extreme Medicine from the University of Exeter and Extreme Medicine.

This is a higher level postgraduate qualification and will allow you to demonstrate in-depth knowledge in your chosen fields.

Year 3 – MSc in Extreme Medicine – 60 credits
This is the final year and will be 60 credits based on a relevant research project, a significant overseas project or challenge. You will be given the opportunity to present your project at the annual highly acclaimed Extreme Medicine Conference.

Additional information
The international postgraduate Diploma & Masters Programme in Extreme Medicine is delivered by Extreme Medicine and The University of Exeter Medical School in partnership. Participants will be students of Exeter University and will have access to the facilities and resources.

The programme is designed for people who work busy jobs and a good proportion of the work can be completed in your own time at home. Find out about this medical diploma program.

There will be tutor support by email and also bi-monthly reviews of progress and learning logs.

With our thanks, on behalf of Extreme Medicine,

Mark Hannaford FRGS FRSA, Managing Director, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine.
Dr Alex Rowe, Medical Director, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine.
Dr Malcolm Hilton, Hospital Sub-Dean, University of Exeter Medical School

Two New Extreme Medicine Articles Published in The Lancet

21st December 2015MCSExpedition & Wilderness Medicine#extremeexpo, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, expedition and wilderness medicine, Expedition Doctor, expedition medic, expedition medicine, extreme, lancet, mark hannaford, remote medical training

We’re delighted that long standing friend and collaborator of World Extreme Medicine, Professor Chris Imray has successfully co-authored two relevant and contemporary articles in the Extreme Medicine series, published in the latest issue of The Lancet.

By sharing their thoughts and experiences, Chris Imray and his co-authors have produced a primary academic reference for Extreme Medicine, reinforcing all that we here at WEM have advocated for years. The Lancet articles now give “medicine in the extremes” the academic credibility and international platform for discussion, this emergent sub-speciality so rightly deserves.

‘I am delighted that these two papers are now in press. I think they reflect many of the sentiments and thrust of the hugely successful World Extreme Medicine Conferences.’ Professor Chris Imray..

Extreme medicine > http://www.lancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)01165-4/abstract
- Summary Excerpt “Extreme, expedition, and wilderness medicine are modern and rapidly evolving specialties that address the spirit of adventure and exploration. The relevance of and interest in these specialties are changing rapidly to match the underlying activities, which include global exploration, adventure travel, and military deployments. Extreme, expedition, and wilderness medicine share themes of providing best available medical care in the outdoors, especially in austere or remote settings”.
Pre-hospital care > http://www.lancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)00985-X/abstract
- Pre-hospital care is emergency medical care given to patients before arrival in hospital after activation of emergency medical services. It traditionally incorporated a breadth of care from bystander resuscitation to statutory emergency medical services treatment and transfer. New concepts of care including community paramedicine, novel roles such as emergency care practitioners, and physician delivered pre-hospital emergency medicine are re-defining the scope of pre-hospital care.

20% off entry to Extreme Medicine Conference ’15 as our way of saying ‘thank you for marching’

18th October 2015MCSExpedition & Wilderness Medicineexpedition medicine, extreme, humantarian, junior contract, junior doctors, london, medics, remote medic

With junior doctors taking to the streets in what must be one of the most articulate, well dressed and peaceful demonstrations ever we are glad to be presenting the Extreme Medicine Conference a week later to illustrated that the NHS is not the only option career-wise

World-class speakers, recruiters and inspiring presentations the conference offers real access to a new world of medicine.

Book your place now. For the next 48 hours, unfortunately not combinable with other offers. in support of our junior doctors are offering 20% off entry to Extreme Medicine ’15 as our way of saying ‘thank you for marching’

WEMEEXPO15SPECIAL20 – use this code at checkout

‘Perhaps the most interesting medical conference I know of’ Senior health correspondent – mainstream media outlet in conversation..

A thank you..

For the next 48 hours, in support of our junior doctors, we are offering 20% off entry to Extreme Medicine Conference as our way of saying ‘thank you for marching’

WEMEEXPO15SPECIAL20 – use this code at checkout

Extreme Medicine is like no medical conference you’ve ever attended.

BMJ ‘Image of the Week’

Extreme Medicine ’15 image chosen for BMJ ‘image of the week’ We are super proud to see one of the MSF Gallery images for this year’s conference featured this week

We are always grateful of the BMJ’s support for our conference and we are really looking forward to seeing them at this years gathering.

Kunduz

New Session; Board member for MSF (UK) Dr Javid Abdelmoneim will be speaking about MSF’s reaction to the bombing of their registered medical facility in Kunduz

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Tag: expedition medicine

Jungle Medicine Training Course in Costa Rica…

Extreme Medicine

GLOBAL • EXPLORATION • SPACE

WEM t-shirts are on their way!

Zika Virus Challenge Grant

Nick Bird to lead Dive Medicine!

Pre-hospital Trauma

Intensive Care Medicine

Supporting medical professionals

Keeping in touch

New Expedition Medicine Course in Slovenia

Where next

A thank you..

Extreme Medicine is like no medical conference you’ve ever attended.

BMJ ‘Image of the Week’

Kunduz