Do you want to engage in more remote adventure medicine opportunities, but don’t know where to start? Whether you want to break from clinical conventions, develop skills that will enable you to think on your feet in an emergency setting, or want to work as a TV/film medic and save lives while travelling the world - this article will act as your wilderness medicine guide. We’re here to enlighten you on what it takes to become an expedition medic and how to get started.
How do I get involved in expedition medicine?
In this emerging market, current job adverts are asking for doctors and other healthcare professionals (HCPs) with training, experience and specialisation in wilderness and expedition medicine. Examples may include:
- Adventure holidays
- Working as a medic in the media industry
- Charity work
- Overseas employment: scenarios could be anything from climate research expeditions, treks and charity work, to going into space.
If you have no experience…
Try scouting out companies which do frequent and popular trips. For example, Kilimanjaro is considered a beginner expedition, with many companies offering frequent expeditions covering several ecological zones, so this would be a good place to start.
Before embarking on an expedition
It is important to make sure you are the right person for the job. You must get a thorough understanding of the nature of the trip and the participants before accepting, and be honest about your own experience. You must bear in mind that Expedition and Wilderness Medicine is a fiercely competitive field and many adventure organisations receive applications from numerous well-qualified doctors, however, the real stand-outs are the ones who have existing experience or have completed a relevant exercise and wilderness medicine course.
What skills do you need for emergency medicine?
For wilderness medicine jobs, you need to have diagnostic skills and make quick decisions with impeccable attention to detail. Stress management and excellent teamwork skills are also paramount to becoming a successful adventure medic. In addition, all of these skills can be achieved through our flexible programme. On completion, you will be able to deliver leadership to teams in multi-agency, multi-cultural and international contexts and develop skills and knowledge to anticipate, plan for and treat common and potential health problems which may arise on expeditions.
Fill your knowledge gap
It is crucial to educate yourself - so why not join a course to prepare you for future trips! Bing an expedition medic is often about logistics, casualty evacuation, communications, and treating injuries - and this is where a Postgraduate Diploma in Extreme Medicine can help. Having a recognised qualification like our Postgraduate Diploma in Expedition and Wilderness Medicine – can give you that competitive edge that could help you compete for those coveted positions.
About our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine programmes
Obtaining that crucial education needed to embark on challenging treks has never been more accessible thanks to our flexible and affordable PGDip in Expedition And Wilderness Medicine. This course has been designed for any healthcare professional who is interested in developing their career and credentials in this increasingly popular and competitive speciality.
Our experienced faculty cover a wide range of wilderness medicine topics and focus upon the practicalities of preparing for the expedition and also on the physiological and pathological impacts of expedition in remote and extreme locations. Completion of this expedition medicine course will enable graduates to:
- Apply evidence-based clinical skills and knowledge to minimise risk and maximise health before, during and after expeditions.
- Demonstrate the ability to provide sound clinical and situational judgement in environments prone to rapid change and uncertain outcomes.
- Apply the knowledge, approaches and skills gained within expedition medicine to wider emergency situations.
Our programmes do not include excursions, but you will uncover an unknown passion for research and certainly develop your research-based skills in the most flexible way when you join our extreme medicine courses. Wilderness medicine research is an essential component to our programmes and can certainly open doors for you - take it from our graduate, Mabli Davies. We had the pleasure of chatting with Mabli about why she chose this course over another, what our programme has done for her personal and professional growth and the benefits already utilised from completing our PgDip in Expedition and Wilderness Medicine..
Gain lifelong learning and advanced problem-solving skills that you can apply within the field of expedition medicine whilst developing your initiative and confidence. If you’re seriously considering a career as an expedition medic, then gaining a qualification is the best place to start. Head over to our Expedition and Wilderness Medicine courses page for more information.