Wilderness Medical Elective Courses

Summary

A medical school elective designed for med students who are interested in learning about applications and research for remote and untraditional patient care contexts.

The patient assessment, including history and physical examinations and the subsequent formulation of a reasonable problem list and treatment plan, should be the fundamental tool for evaluating sick or injured patients. Unfortunately, this skill set is too often relegated in favor of technological diagnostic tools. The wilderness setting offers a unique opportunity to learn and practice these fundamental skills. Wilderness practitioners are oftentimes forced to make important and difficult decisions based on limited technology and improvised equipment. Our goal is to teach practical patient evaluations and treatments and focus on topics that are not routinely emphasized in medical school curricula.

Description

Background

The Wilderness Medicine Elective is a program run and managed by the Remote Health Initiative (RHI).  The RHI is a not-for-profit organization that researches, educates, and advocates medical and patient care advancement for low resource medical settings.

With an emphasis on rural and remote settings, the RHI continuously researches and designs curriculum and pedagogy to bring increased educational opportunities to medical students and other health professionals.  The RHI offers the Wilderness Medicine Elective as a unique opportunity for medical students who wish to expand their practical and academic knowledge to contexts beyond traditional clinical environments.

While the RHI consists of medical practitioners, academics, and researchers that are separate from WMA International, a partnership exists between the organizations in order to facilitate the operations and administration of the elective. Both organizations have shared interests in recognizing the need for quality and thoughtful remote medical education that is evidence-based and intellectually stimulating for students.

Course Content

This 100-hour elective has three distinct teaching phases. In each, we stress history and physical examinations and discuss why certain general and specific findings occur and evolve and how to interpret them. Integrated will be some fundamentals of normal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology and environmental topics. The phases are (1) Basic topics including environmental topics, rescue topics, and standard topics (respiratory, circulatory, neurologic, integumentary, musculoskeletal and pharmacology), (2) Practical workshops, and (3) Integrative exercises.

Location

This elective is typically held in full or in part at a rustic area or comfortable wilderness camp or outdoor center. Electives can be hosted on-site at your university, given access to a suitable classroom and extensive green space. Or you can work with RMIF and Wilderness Medical Associates to find a rustic rental location or outdoor facility within a price range that is suitable to you and your peers.

Recognition

This two-week elective has been run successfully for international students over the past several years. Hundreds of medical students from around the world have participated. The elective is open to all medical students, and credit is be granted by your individual electives office.

Students from the following schools have recently participated in the elective:

Northern Ontario School of Medicine (Canada)
University of Calgary (Canada)
McMaster University (Canada)
Ottawa University (Canada)
Queens University (Canada)
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Saskatchewan (Canada)
University of British Columbia (Canada)
Dalhousie University (Canada)
University of Alberta (Canada)
McGill University (Canada)
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry (Canada)
Columbia University (USA)
Ross University (USA)
University of East Anglia (UK)
Sheffield University (UK)
Leeds Medical School (UK)
Queen’s University Belfast (Northern Ireland)

Prerequisites

Current status as a medical student.

College Credit

Please confirm with your elective's office that this experience will count towards an elective block. Please contact us if you require assistance in this area. Each student goes through a formal evaluation and will receive a written evaluation from a physician instructor.