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Polar Medicine


POLAR MEDICINE COURSE, NORWAY

15-21 February 2009 - open for applications

A Winter Extreme Climate Expedition Medicine Course in the North Cape- 5 days of Mountain and Polar Medicine.   Read the BMJ write up of the course '07 and the BJSM write up '08

COURSE LIMITED TO 24 PLACES 

A proportion of your course fee goes to support the work of SAFER (SubAntarctic Foundation for Ecosystems Research.

£1315     Arctic Circle, Norway,      15th-21st February 2009  
Email us for an information pack or download an application form 

Suggested Reading List


RGS Expedition Handbook 
RGS Expedition Medicine Handbook 
Oxford Handbook of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine 
The High Altitude Medicine Handbook (Paperback) 
Antarctica and the Arctic: The Complete Encyclopedia

Expedition Medicine's Polar Medical Skills course is set in Northern Norway* near  the town of Alta within the Arctic Circle, over a 5-day period, at the height of the arctic winter. It represents, we believe, one of the best presented and comprehensive winter medical skills courses in Europe and routinely receives outstanding feedback from its delegates.   * Minimum number required.    Visit the Polar Medicine training centre here.



In response to the expansion of the adventure travel market and the increasing necessity for the presence of medical professionals on a wider variety of expeditions and adventurous pursuits, Expedition Medicine have developed a comprehensive course for all those medical professionals responsible for clients or team members in an polar, high altitude or arctic environments.

Calling on the knowledge of polar medicine experiences from some of the most remote locations in the world and the skills of ex-Norwegian, British special forces and Royal Marine instructors with over 50 Polar seasons between them. There is no better way to prepare yourself for the rigours of wilderness medicine, and no better place than one Europe's last great wildernesses. 

Developed for medical professionals or advanced medics working in cold and at altitude environments. The course aims to use the winter evenings covering the essential expedition medical skills required to care for and treat injuries and illnesses likely to occur in this harsh environment, whilst the days are spent in the field.

The tutors will develop the skills of the participants through practical sessions and hands-on experience, rescuing and treating cold-water immersion, frostbite, altitude related illnesses and hypothermia, all managed whilst in the field, rather than the comfort of a lecture theatre. The polar days will be used to experience and develop winter survival skills, emergency shelters, navigation, firelighting, digging snow holes and avalanche awareness, as well as mastering the different techniques required to travel in the arctic, dog sledding, skiing, snow mobiling, and snow shoeing, without which a successful medical response is obsolete.

If you have ever considered working on a winter, polar, or high altitude expedition, a ski patrol, or simply having the experience of a life-time, then this course is for you.

The price includes, accommodation, meals, course manual and rental of all equipment including an arctic outer layer of clothing, outer boots and all course activities.

The only additional cost is for your flights, items of a personal nature and travel insurance. You can buy your travel insurance from Across the Divide. You can buy your flights from any reputable travel agent and there is only one flight a day into Alta, www.kayak.co.uk is a good place to start.

There is the option of staying and arranging further winter sports activities, please contact us for further details.

A proportion of your course fee goes to support the work of SAFER (SubAntarctic Foundation for Ecosystems Research)

'This course, is we believe, the most comprehensive winter medical skills course outside of the military in the whole of Europe'. Steve Clark, Across the Divide Expeditions.

'Probably one of the best courses that you will ever do!' 'Incredibly well organised, and presented with an infectious enthusiasm' Past EML delegate.

Useful Links

Recommended Web Sites

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council. Based in Cambridge UK, it has, for almost 60 years, undertaken the majority of Britain's scientific research on and around the Antarctic continent. It now shares that continent with scientists from around thirty countries. BAS employs over 400 staff, and supports three stations in the Antarctic, at Rothera, Halley and Signy, and two stations on South Georgia, at King Edward Point and Bird Island. The Antarctic operations and science programmes are executed and managed from Cambridge, and rely on a wide-ranging team of professional staff.

The Scott Polar Research Institute was founded in 1920, in Cambridge, as a memorial to Captain Robert Falcon Scott, RN, and his four companions, who died returning from the South Pole in 1912. When Scott's last words, "For God's sake look after our people" were made known to the British nation, the response was tremendous. Scott himself had emphasised the importance of science and from this plea, the Institute was born.

Charity dog sledding | Across the Divide Expeditions.  and corporate events in the Arctic- The UK poineers of charity challenges and corporate events in Finnmark. Across the Divide is the foremost provider of charity challenges and charity dog sledding or sledging in the Arctic. Our team, back up, and level of service are second to none. We have chosen Northern Norway as the location for our charity dog sled expeditions in order to attain a greater sense of wilderness, but we can provide all services in northern Sweden, Spitzbergen and Finland as well. 

References
Van Ruiten, HJA, and Daanen, HAM (1999) Cold induced vasodilatation at altitude (abstract). in: Hypoxia into the next millennium. Advances in experimental medicine and biology. Vol 474. Eds Roach RC, Wagner, PD and Hackett, PH. pp436