Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Course
Explore new horizons and bring your training to the great outdoors with our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course. During our internationally recognised four-day programme, you’ll gain the knowledge and expertise needed to become a valuable member of any expedition medical team.
This course has been approved for Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) credits through the Wilderness Medical Society. Actual credits awarded depend on personal credit needs and history.
We also offer Expedition & Wilderness Medicine courses in the following locations:
“Fantastic week of jam packed information and inspiration. Well organised, fun, safe, supported and just amazing to be around like minded people.”
EWM Plas y Brenin course attendee
Experience medicine at the forefront, where every decision counts.
Key facts
Boost your career and aim for new opportunities! Join us for four days of wilderness training that will introduce you to a world of cutting-edge extreme medical practice.
Throughout the course, you’ll learn crucial wilderness medical skills and gain expertise in backcountry techniques. By the end of the program, you’ll have the confidence to tackle any adventure, both as a medical professional and a versatile expedition team member.
- Location: Camp Mi-Te-Na, New Hampshire, USA
You must be one of the following:
- MD, NP, PA, Nurse, EMT-P, or EMT
- Allied Health Professional
- WFR, W-EMT
- Student in a healthcare discipline
This course has been approved for Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) credits through the Wilderness Medical Society. Actual credits awarded depend on personal credit needs and history.
CME Value:
The Wilderness Medical Society designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 29.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Each physician should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
What’s included:
- Full didactic and experiential course, accommodation and meals
- Downloadable course resources
- Safety equipment
What’s not:
- Travel costs
- Travel & medical insurance
- Personal equipment
What to expect
Our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course is designed to be the most comprehensive introductory training course available to medics. Our experts blend engaging lectures with plenty of hands-on practical skills essential to all expedition medics.
For the first three days, your time will be split 50/50 between lectures and practical group work. You’ll cover everything from dentistry to tropical medicine, hot and cold environments, mental health and expedition planning. By evening you’ll enjoy socialising, challenging tasks and special guest lectures.
The final day focuses on a real-time search and rescue scenario where you will combine your skills to locate, rescue, treat and evacuate a casualty.
“This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) and World Extreme Medicine. The WMS is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.”
Course content
While our captivating lectures and evening talks unfold indoors, brace yourself for a hands-on experience in the great outdoors. Unless Mother Nature challenges us with fierce weather, practical topics will come to life amidst stunning natural backdrops. Be prepared to immerse yourself in the wilderness for a minimum of 3 awe-inspiring hours each day.
- Overview of Expedition & Wilderness Medicine
- Human Factors
- Crew Resource Management
- Pre-Expedition Planning
- Pre-Existing and Common Conditions
- Dentistry
- Introduction to Trauma in Resource Poor Settings
- Primary Survey
- Spinal Immobilisation
- Road Traffic Collisions
- Fracture Management
- Catastrophic Bleeding
- Analgesia
- Aeromedical Rescue
- Security on expeditions
- Hills skill
- Medicine in Tropical Environments
- Medicine in Hot Environments
- Altitude Medicine
- Medicine in Cold Environments
- Dive Medicine
- Water Purification
- Comms
- Wound Care
- Medical Kits
- Snake & insect bites
- Medico-Legal Considerations
- Search & Rescue Exercise
What you need to know
We highly recommend arriving the day before the course. We are based at Camp Mi-Te-Na in New Hampshire. Your course fee includes staying the night before the course starts.
The nearest airport is Manchester. Please ensure that you follow the equipment list and pack adequately.
As a minimum you must bring:
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Sturdy walking boots
- Hat, gloves etc
- Outdoor clothing – comprising of base, mid and outer layers
- Spare set of outdoor clothing in case you get wet!
- Warm fleece or top
- Casual clothing for the evening
- Daypack – with a waterproof shell (to keep your spare clothes dry!)
- Water bottle
- Compass
- Whistle
- Head Torch
- Personal toiletries including a towel
- Personal First Aid Kit
Feedback from previous courses
What went well on your Expedition & Wilderness Medicine course?
“Honestly a top grade course with outstanding staff. I learnt so much I’m hoping to take these skills back with me to the road.”
“Lectures were interesting and delivered in an engaging way. Workshops were well structured and practical.”
“Great balance of practical and theoretical, fun dynamic atmosphere, social and cohesive faculty and group, well-packed schedule, excellent overview broad range of interesting topics covered with signposting to more specific resources / courses.”
What was the single most valuable thing you learnt from your Expedition & Wilderness Medicine course?
“There is a huge range of possibilities and opportunities outside the walls of the hospital to incorporate the outdoors, some adventure and medicine together.”
“I learnt so much, but I think mostly I learnt the importance of planning and how to adapt your practice to the environment you are in.”
“Self-confidence, self-reliance, social skills, potentials for adventure and networking with like-minded individuals.”
About us
World Extreme Medicine trains, supports and informs medics looking to expand their skills and tackle new challenges.
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 – over 20 years ago. Since then, we’ve spent the last two decades providing on-demand education, on-location training, international conferences, and expedition support for people outside normal medical environments.
Our network of around a quarter of a million experts, practitioners and instructors is here for you – inspiring, informing and connecting you with like-minded people and new opportunities.
Whether you’re a doctor, nurse, dentist, vet, paramedic, medical student or allied health professional, you can join us and discover new frontiers of your practice both at home or in the field.