Jungle Medicine Course
This Jungle Medicine training course offers an opportunity to learn, operate and survive in one of planet’s most challenging environments.
Where practical workshops, simulations, and captivating lectures take place under starlit skies, accompanied by the mesmerising sounds of birds, howler monkeys, and nature’s chorus. As we venture into the heart of the jungle, navigating through thrilling river rafting and trekking expeditions, our teaching seamlessly intertwines with the journey.
Jungle Medicine Course
Modules
Day One
Meet the group in San Jose and travel to your first jungle location, Pacuarito Camp. En route, you’ll visit a Snake & Wildlife Centre to understand local snake risk and the medical impacts of envenomation. The day finishes with settling in, introductions, and the first lectures before dinner.
Day Two
After breakfast and further teaching, you’ll move to the rafting start point and raft into your second jungle camp, El Nido. Along the way you’ll cover swift water safety, river crossing awareness, and practise moving a casualty on a raft. After camp set-up and tent allocation, you’ll round out the day with another lecture before dinner.
Day Three
A skills-heavy day focused on essential jungle survival and field practice. You’ll cover key topics like water purification, fire lighting, shelter, safe machete use, communications, what kit to carry, and casualty evacuation. Later, you’ll trek to a waterfall and practise casualty carries using improvised stretchers, returning to El Nido for the night.
Day Four
You’ll push deeper into the jungle for a three-day mini-expedition, carrying equipment and food. Once in location, you’ll establish Jungle Base Camp, including group shelters, hammock set-up, open-fire cooking, and basic camp systems (including latrines) for the next two nights.
Day Five
A full day operating deep in the jungle canopy, focused on camp craft, navigation, and prolonged casualty care. Small-group teaching sessions cover clinical challenges specific to the environment, including snake bite management, anaphylaxis, jungle dermatology, and public health.
Day Six
A final expedition day with a trek back to El Nido (including a river crossing), followed by rafting back out through the gorge, with time to observe and appreciate the jungle environment as you travel. You’ll return to Pacuarito Camp for a farewell dinner with the group.
Day Seven
After breakfast, you’ll pack up and transfer back to San Jose, where the course concludes with drop-off at the Sleep Inn Hotel.
Please note: the itinerary is subject to change due to weather conditions and other unpredictable events.
Your Teaching Faculty
Laura Thomson
Coast to Coast Adventures
Costa Rica
What's Included?
Field-Based Training and Practical Workshops
Learning takes place in the rainforest itself, combining focused teaching with practical workshops, simulations, and scenario-based learning. Training is shaped by heat, humidity, terrain, and remoteness, ensuring skills are developed in conditions that reflect real jungle environments.
Expert Faculty and Local Expedition Specialists
You’ll be taught by experienced medical faculty working alongside local expedition specialists with deep knowledge of the Costa Rican jungle. This integrated approach ensures clinical learning is grounded in real-world movement, environmental risk, and expedition decision-making.
Accommodation, Meals and Expedition Logistics
Your course fee includes accommodation and meals throughout the course, as well as logistical support during river travel, jungle movement, and the expedition phase. From rafting into camp to operating in remote base locations, logistics are managed so you can focus fully on learning.
What past attendees say
“Great instructors & local guides who covered all intended course content & much more – Got a taster for how challenging jungle medicine can be – A relatively small group for a WEM course – allowing for solid learning opportunities – Good vegan food provided ”
“Instructors were amazing ”
“Thank you very much for an amazing time, it was really great and I will definitely attend more WEM courses. Thanks to the faculty as well, they are a bunch of really experienced people. ”
“It was great! Trying to fit the Nepal course in to my schedule now. And the Conservation medicine course, and the Polar one… :) ”
Case Studies
This course is designed for healthcare professionals and students who want to apply their clinical skills in tropical and jungle environments. It’s particularly suited to those interested in expedition, wilderness, humanitarian, or adventure medicine. The course focuses on clinical decision-making, adaptability, teamwork, and operating safely in hot, humid, resource-limited settings rather than technical jungle survival alone.
