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Polar Medicine

POLAR MEDICINE TRAINING COURSE, NORWAY

COURSE ONE - 31st JANUARY - 6th FEBRUARY 2010 
FULLY BOOKED 



COURSE TWO - 7th FEBRUARY - 13th FEBRUARY 2010 
TAKING BOOKINGS - sign up discount available for limited period - contact us for more details


£1445 Arctic Circle, Norway, (£150 deposit required to secure a place)

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

Email us for availability or download an application form

•EML Application form (.PDF) ...(requires Adobe Acrobat)


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.

'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.

BOTH COURSES LIMITED TO 24 PLACES 

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

    

Useful information for the course

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. 

Polar course - What to expect
This is a highly practical course that will introduce you to the polar environment and prepare you for expedition medical work in Arctic and Antarctic regions. You will experience firsthand the challenges and some of the solutions to travel (by ski, dog sled and snow mobile), living and providing medical support in the cold. We teach through a combination of small group or classroom work and practical activity, with a significant emphasis on experiential learning. Whilst you do not need to be an elite athlete, an adequate level of physical fitness will ensure you get as much out of the course as possible. As a guide, you should be able to walk at least 20km carrying a 15kg pack without assistance, and repeat this on more than two successive days in one week. The terrain we will encounter is highly variable; you will be expected to spend a full day on cross country skis which are very different to downhill skiing. All abilities from complete beginner to more advanced skiers can have a challenging and enjoyable day – we do find it is a great leveller.

Other days will be spent on a dog sled or snow mobile which can involve running up hill behind the sled pushing at times and can be relatively physical work. Plus there is the challenge of digging out a bogged snow machine.

We are unable to influence the weather. It is a cold environment and we do spend 2 nights out either camping or in snow holes. It is possible that there will be snow for many hours on some days of the course. Familiarising you with a cold climate is one of the principle objectives of this course; students who are able to tolerate a degree of physical discomfort whilst maintaining a sense of humour and enthusiasm will get the most from the week. 



Suggested Reading List

Expedition & Wilderness Medicine Book - A 223 page medical field guide to Expedition Medicine - Included as part of the course cost (issued on arrival)







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