Newsletter
December 2007
Hello to all our readers and welcome to the latest edition of the EML newsletter which we hope you'll find useful and interesting.
We are as busy as ever down here at EML HQ; Dr Sean Hudson has just returned from Antarctica, our Polar Medicine & UK EML Courses are now full and we are getting ready for our 2008 courses - which include our NEW Desert & Diving Courses.
Happy reading.
What's in this issue:
Course news -what’s going on and where
2008 is nearly upon us and we have our usual favourite courses lined up, as well as our NEW Desert and Diving medicine courses. We think it's going to be another superb year for EML and we look forward to seeing you on one of our courses soon.
Polar Course - Norway 17th - 23rd February 2008.
LIMITED TO 30 PLACES - Wait list only
A winter extreme climate expedition medicine course for or anyone wanting to work in a polar, high altitude or arctic environment. For further details click here.
EML UK Course - Keswick, Cumbria 17th - 20th March 2008.
LIMITED TO 60 PLACES - wait list only
Held in the stunning Newlands Centre, Keswick this course is for anyone aspiring to become and expedition medic. Read about the recent course in the BMJ for further details about the course click here.
NEW Desert Course - Namibia 17th - 23rd August 2008
LIMITED TO 30 PLACES
Expedition Medicine is delighted at being able to offer a comprehensive course for all those medical professionals responsible for clients, patients or team members in a desert environment. The course aims to introduce participants to the skills required to be a valuable member of a desert expeditionary team, and to care for and treat injuries and illnesses likely to occur in this harsh environment. Set in the stunning Damaraland area in Namibia, for further details click here.
NEW Diving Medicine- Oman 2008 18th - 24th Ocotber.
LIMITED TO 30 PLACES
We are very excited at being able to offer an inspirational Diving & Marine Medicine Course for all those medical professionals responsible for clients or expedition team members in a diving or marine environment. The course aims to introduce participants to the skills required to manage the common medical problems, which may emerge in a diving or marine environment. For application forms or further details visit our website.
Jungle Course - Costa Rica 9th - 15th November 2008.
LIMITED TO 30 PLACES
Our jungle course is going strength to strength we are now running our third course in Costa Rica. Ideal for those interested in tropical and jungle medicine. For further details click here.
In the Fridge - Dr Sean Hudson in Antarctica
 A chance meeting at a MRT conference in 2007 led to the opportunity to help set up the most remote expedition clinic in the world. The medical clinic run by Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE) provides advice, support and rescue to all the expeditions on the Antarctic continent. It is a four hour flight to Punta Arenas, but this is only when the IL76 (jet) can land on the blue ice runway. The camp and clinic nestle under the Patriot Hills, which provide a beautiful backdrop to this most stunning of locations. Though temperatures can plummet, especially in the early part of the season, generally the weather is pretty kind, with average temperatures being around -15ºC and winds only occasionally picking up to 70 knots (120km/h).
During the season, which lasts from November to January, the camp plays host to over 300 individuals, who come to Patriot Hills to start their journey to the South Pole skiing, climbing Mount Vinsen, or just to fly out to the South Pole and experience being in one of the most incredible places on earth.
All of these people need to be assessed and seen by the clinic or by the medical team in the UK, which can be interesting as many of them speak little English and my grasp of Russian, Norwegian or Spanish extends little beyond “you have a big bum”! Most have a very good knowledge of the environment and its dangers but there is always the odd person who descends from the IL76 onto the ice runway in high heels and has a wardrobe full of miniskirts and tight tops (and newly acquired breasts).
The clinic is incredibly well thought out and has the capacity to manage most medical scenarios. The commonest complaint is of course frostbite. However most of my time was spent lecturing teams to ensure they knew how to cope with the environment and avoid injury, or getting involved in the work of other departments. Putting up tents, helping with cooking, assisting the comms officers, and in my time off climbing, skiing and snowmobiling (hard life). It was a hard but rewarding 6 weeks which Id recommend to anyone who has ever fancied a challenge.
Situations Vacant
We have some exciting new job opportunities for 2008 on our website, these include: the International Porter Protection Group (IPPG) who urgently need a Doctor for Nepal in April and The Exploration Company who require a Doctor for their school expedition to Borneo in the Summer. Please visit our situations vacant page – for an opportunity of a lifetime click here.
Namib Desert Medicine Course
 There truly aren’t enough superlatives to describe how beautiful Namibia is. Hence when we came to choose a destination for our NEW desert medicine course, there was only one possible choice.
As a group, Expedition Medicine have been working, travelling, holidaying and honeymooning in Namibia for over 10 years. It has a quality which is becoming increasingly rare and difficult to find in Africa. It still remains exotic and predominantly unspoilt, tourism is increasing but slowly.
The diversity of the country is its strength, whether you yearn for endless deserts, exotic mountains, huge dunes, canyons, rivers, a myriad of game parks or the most remarkable coastline in the whole of Africa, it is all here. All set to the backdrop of German efficiency, which has created a medical infrastructure which can support any expedition.
Caroline and I first worked in the Namib as guides and medics in 1998 and fell in love with the country. We have returned many times and are very excited about the desert medicine course. It’s a beautiful location, ideal for our course, with Brandberg as a backdrop and the opportunity to encounter the remarkably adapted desert elephants which often can be found in the Uhab River.
The team are quite exceptional, and I can’t wait to learn from them and their vast experience, in this and other desert environments around the world. If you want to camp in one of the oldest deserts in the world, in the shadow of a mountain which has been a refuge for desert nomads in hard times for over 6000 years, track elephant, learn how to survive and treat medical conditions common in this environment, then there is no question - you would enjoy our trip to Namibia.
Dr Sean Hudson
Marathon in the desert
Our friends at Across the Divide have launched their new Adventure Series and the first one up for 2008 is the Namibia Desert Marathon. The series is designed to offer a different experience for those wishing to take the challenge of running a marathon to the next level. The Namibia 24 hour Desert Ultra Race is a 120km race over 24 hours, through the most hostile desert coastline on the planet - the Namibian Skeleton Coast. For further details click here and take on this challenge, there is also a shorter marathon route, which can also be run, details can be found here.
Join Across the Divide on a fundraising challenge
Open charity challenges are designed so you can raise money for a charity of your choice - it could be your local hospice or a major cancer charity. Across the Divide have been delighted at the response to their new open events for 2008. The dog sledding, China and Kilimanjaro challenges are selling out fast but they still have places left on the Sahara, Peru, Ladakh and Everest challenge events - so book now to avoid disappointment later. Find out more about Across the Divide here.
For further information email us at events@acrossthedivide.com.
Lastly....
We'd like to wish all our readers a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
See you in 2008! | 
