Wilderness Medicine

A two-week elective consisting of lectures, practicals, skill sessions and simulations/scenarios intended to expose students to the practice of medicine in extreme environments. Past activities have included an in flight medical resuscitation simulation, a guided tour of the National Botanic Garden, and splinting sessions. Learn rescue carries, how to build shelters, and the basics of orienteering and knots during a multi-day camping trip, where students will also have the opportunity to practice medical skills and apply their knowledge in nearby wilderness environments. 

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Define 'wilderness' as a social construct.
2. Explain some important physiological fundamentals in adaptation to extreme environments.
3. Recognize different types of threats in austere environments and how to mitigate them.
4. Recognize specific hazards encountered in the wilderness both environmental and zoologic.
5. Describe specific vulnerabilities in different groups: pediatric, elderly, chronic disease, highly fit.
6. Practice some survival techniques/strategies, and means for evacuation.
7. Practice techniques for recognizing/treating illness in an austere/wilderness setting.
8. Employ psychological adaptations/benefits/liabilities in wilderness exposure and the importance of group dynamics.
9. Practice travel in an austere/wilderness environment carrying what you need with you.