Expedition Medicine in Practice Course
Applied, field-based expedition medicine in a remote mountain environment
This 6.5-day Expedition Medicine in Practice course is designed for healthcare professionals who already have a foundation in expedition or wilderness medicine and are ready to apply those principles in realistic, high-pressure field conditions.
Set in the remote mountain village of Tušila in the Dinaric Alps, the course focuses on clinical decision-making, leadership, and patient care when resources are limited, terrain is demanding, and evacuation is not immediate.
Building on the principles taught in Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, this course shifts the emphasis from theory to practice, embedding medical learning within real movement, route planning, and team-based expedition tasks.
Teaching is grounded in practical scenarios and supported by structured debriefs, helping you develop the judgement, adaptability, and situational awareness required to operate effectively as an expedition medic.
Expedition Medicine in Practice Course
Course Content
Applied Expedition Medicine in Mountain Environments
You’ll begin by establishing a shared operational framework for expedition medicine in mountainous terrain. Teaching focuses on how clinical care integrates with route planning, risk assessment, and team leadership, ensuring medical decision-making aligns with environmental and logistical realities.
Clinical Care with Limited Resources
This section focuses on managing illness and injury when diagnostic tools, equipment, and evacuation options are restricted. Through realistic scenarios, you’ll practise patient assessment, prioritisation, and stabilisation while balancing individual care with group safety.
Leadership, Human Factors, and Decision-Making
You’ll explore how fatigue, stress, terrain, and team dynamics influence judgement. Teaching examines leadership styles, crew resource management, and communication under pressure, helping you recognise and mitigate human factors risks in expedition settings.
Expedition Skills and Environmental Medicine
Learning extends beyond clinical care to include expedition planning, environmental illness, and improvised rescue techniques. These sessions ensure you can operate effectively within the wider expedition system, not just at the patient side.
Your Teaching Faculty
Gemma Aldridge
Jason Zubiena
Will Duffin
Dinaric Alps, Bosnia and Herzegovina
What's Included?
Expert Faculty Teaching
Field-based instruction delivered by experienced expedition medics and clinicians, focused on applied learning rather than classroom theory.
Practical Scenarios and Group Learning
Scenario-based training embedded into daily movement and expedition tasks, supported by structured debriefs and facilitated discussion.
Accommodation and Meals Included
Your course fee includes group transfers to/from Sarajevo, accommodation at a rustic mountain lodge and all meals* during the course, allowing you to stay on site and focus fully on learning.
*excluding drinks from the bar.
Course Certification and CPD
This course has been awarded 28.5 CPD hours by RCSEd. On completion, you’ll receive a certificate of attendance recognising your training in applied expedition medicine.
What past attendees say
“Really super course, when compared to other learning opportunities I’ve undertaken in recent years, I feel I’ve gained a huge amount of new knowledge in a short time & in such an enjoyable environment. Sincere thanks!! The mountain hut was also excellent, fantastic food and care provided by the lodge staff really enhanced the course for me! ”
“The balance between lectures and practical scenarios was excellent. The instructors were extremely knowledgeable as well as friendly and approachable. ”
“I’d like to direct a special thanks to the faculty, I was truly amazed by their knowledge and skillsets. Will, he was so positive and kind, I had a bit of a rough time mentally due to unrelated matters, and it was really great to have him there as a bit of support. ”
“This course was amazing! I learned a lot and hope to continue with other courses in the near future. ”
“I knew I would enjoy the course, but I didn’t realise just how much. That’s thanks to the incredible kindness and knowledge of the faculty, who helped us build a true community.What started as a way escape from the wards has hopefully become the first step in a career-changing journey. ”
“Barry and Gem did a great job and performed in a way during the week where I changed my mind from being a bit let down about the pace of the course in the beginning to just being thrilled to have been there. In the end we all head a unique learning experience from Gem, Barry and each other. Everyone was witty, funny and knowledgeable. There was a lot of respect within the participants and faculty. I want to specially point out that Barry enabled me to reflect on myself and my position within social groups, which exceeded the scope of this course and my expectations by far. I think it enabled me to do personal character development. His feedback was precise and very appreciating. In the end Barry was probably the highlight of the course for me. ”
“Thank you so much! Barry and Gem were absolutely wonderful, we are so lucky to have them and the group was fantastic, overall it was an incredible experience ”
“trip of a lifetime, though i did expect it to be more physically challenging ”
Resources
This course is designed for healthcare professionals and students who want to apply expedition and wilderness medicine principles in realistic field conditions.
It is best suited to those who have completed Expedition & Wilderness Medicine (or equivalent) and are looking to progress their skills through immersive, practical training in a remote environment.
If you’re unsure whether this is the right next step, we recommend using the Course Fit Checker or booking a discovery call.
