#49 - Wilderness Medicine Conference

Today I completed a 5-day Conference on Wilderness Medicine.  I have been wanting to attend this conference for years.  Needless to say, wilderness medicine is not covered as a discipline in medical school in St. Louis.  My oldest son is involved in Cub Scouts and I realized that I would eventually be on a remote campout with his pack or troop.  If someone got injured, they'd look at me to provide medical care.  Beyond first aid, my medical skills all center around working in an office or hospital environment, and I felt that I wanted to expand those skills.  This course taught me ways to improvise medical equipment, to decide whether to treat something in the field or evacuate the patient, to prepare for an expedition, and to spend the unexpected night out with simple supplies to provide shelter, water, warmth, and food if necessary.  I learned about many of the hazards that the wilderness exposes us to (hypothermia, overheating, animal attacks, weather, avalanche, etc.) and how to prevent problems or treat the consequences if necessary.  I'm not an expert now, but I have a foundation that I will continue to expand in the future.