I have always been interested in becoming a WEMT, since I love hiking, and have been in situations when one of my friends has needed help and I couldnt. Now that I am an EMT, I feel somewhat better prepared to help, but am still very reliant on an ambulance, higher trained crews, and have become depentent on fairly quick evacuation times to higher medical personnel (MD at ER).
In mid-January I am taking a trip on a research ship in the pacific ocean (24 participants, 10 staff), and MAY have the highest medical training on board (I asked the staff on the program and they have confirmed). There will be times where we are making 21 day ocean crossings-- without seeing land. My understanding is that the boat carries a backboard, and some drugs, and because we will be in international water, the Capitan is in charge.
I really dont know what to do for 21 days, if something happens. Given we will never really be out of communication (one of the wonders and horrors of modern technology), and I hope can talk to an MD if we need, it is scary.
Thus, I am interested in taking a WEMT module course, although most that I have found are based in the woods and hiking. While these are great skills to have (and I am sure I will use them while hiking), I am looking for a course in true wilderness medicine-- how to keep a hemorrhaging patient stable for long periods of time, how to tell if a fall from X feet is serious or not (at this point, I bboard everyone and bring to ER to clear for injury, etc.
Do you know of any? How long are these courses? Are they eligible for CEUs (trying to kill two birds with one stone). How far (from MA) would I have to travel?
Since this is the Wilderness medical section, and there has not been much discussion of WEMTs, I hope to open up the conversation. What is the role of the WEMT? Wilderness Paramedics? Air Rescue? WEMTs, how to you keep your skills up? What are important supplies to carry whenever?
Please let me know if you think I am off base with this.
Thanks a lot for your help,
DES
In mid-January I am taking a trip on a research ship in the pacific ocean (24 participants, 10 staff), and MAY have the highest medical training on board (I asked the staff on the program and they have confirmed). There will be times where we are making 21 day ocean crossings-- without seeing land. My understanding is that the boat carries a backboard, and some drugs, and because we will be in international water, the Capitan is in charge.
I really dont know what to do for 21 days, if something happens. Given we will never really be out of communication (one of the wonders and horrors of modern technology), and I hope can talk to an MD if we need, it is scary.
Thus, I am interested in taking a WEMT module course, although most that I have found are based in the woods and hiking. While these are great skills to have (and I am sure I will use them while hiking), I am looking for a course in true wilderness medicine-- how to keep a hemorrhaging patient stable for long periods of time, how to tell if a fall from X feet is serious or not (at this point, I bboard everyone and bring to ER to clear for injury, etc.
Do you know of any? How long are these courses? Are they eligible for CEUs (trying to kill two birds with one stone). How far (from MA) would I have to travel?
Since this is the Wilderness medical section, and there has not been much discussion of WEMTs, I hope to open up the conversation. What is the role of the WEMT? Wilderness Paramedics? Air Rescue? WEMTs, how to you keep your skills up? What are important supplies to carry whenever?
Please let me know if you think I am off base with this.
Thanks a lot for your help,
DES