Search and Rescue (Final week, week 10)

The program culminates with training in wilderness Search and Rescue, which itself incorporates most of the skills learned in the Semester, including navigation, survival, patient care, communication, incident command, and evacuation.  The last two days are spent in intense scenarios including a backcountry mass-casualty incident and a blended medical/ orienteering challenge called the RATRACE (Reach and Treat Race).  Using everything they have learned, they found, treated and evacuated passengers from a small-plane crash on a mountainside on the first day, then mustered up in teams of two on the last day of the program to find six individual patients scattered over a square mile of thick, lower-elevation backcountry terrain.  

At each patient, Aerie proctors, including our MD medical director Dr. Greg Moore, evaluated their care and provided individual, critical feedback to every participant.  This type of event characterizes well what Aerie strives to accomplish in its Semester program:  intense, field-based scenarios that require of the rescuer outstanding wilderness medicine knowledge that is supported by essential backcountry skills.  These folks are now ready to prepare for backcountry emergencies, to prevent their occurrence, to find, access and treat those who are lost and injured in the field, and to execute a well-organized, efficient rescue when required.

Swiftwater Rescue (week 8)

This section focus on the week we spent with the Whitewater Rescue Institute on the Alberton Gorge learning the essentials of swiftwater rescue and whitewater guiding while earning Whitewater Rescue Technician certifications.  This is the standard certification for professional whitewater guides. 

High Angle Rope Rescue (week 9)

During a week of rope rescue, students were in the field learning the essentials of high-angle rescue, including rope use, use of anchors, raising and lowering patients, and patient hoist systems.  This fit in very well with the rope training given during the Swiftwater Rescue portion and added new elements of terrain, unique scene-safety issues, as well as issues of caring for patients while they are in a litter or otherwise secured to a rope-rescue system.

Wilderness EMT Section (weeks 3-7)

Here is section-2, which was the month-long WEMT at our 80-acre facility in Condon, Montana.

This is a very intense program with no rest for the weary.  After coming out of the snowy mountains, students began their four-week Wilderness EMT training in ernest. Right off the bat, we had Dr. Brad Bennett, an international authority on hemorrhage control, bring the students up to date on the latest developments in hemostatic agents, tourniquets and heat illness.  He and Dr. Greg Moore, Aerie's Medical Advisor from day one, a hospital Chief of Staff and a practicing Emergency Room physician, took the lead giving students an incredible start to their WEMT.  Lead instructors Ellie Thompson, James Pyke and Josh Olsen provide the backbone for the program as we work through four weeks of scenarios, didactic presentations and clinical observations in local emergency rooms and ambulances.  

Dr. Greg Moore, our Medical Director, teaching in our Condon facility.

Summer Semester 2014 Wilderness Navigation and Survival Section (Weeks 1 and 2)

SUMMER SEMESTER OVERVIEW:  The Summer Semester in Wilderness Medicine is largely field-based, with students spending their field time is divided into 7-10 day backcountry sessions, developing skills in wilderness survival, navigation, rope rescue, swiftwater rescue or search and rescue.  Their other time is spent completing their WEMT, which includes didactic and practical sessions as well as clinical rotations in local hospitals and ERs and visiting fire departments to learn and practice vehicle extrication.

Because so much time is spent in the field, we have divided posts into section-summaries rather than day-by-day posts.  Here is section-1, which was a 10-day backpacking trip devoted to wilderness navigation, survival and an introduction to wilderness medicine.

The 2014 Summer Semester students started their adventure at the Holland Lake trailhead in Condon, Montana, on June 17th.  June 17th in most places in the US is 4 days before summer.  Five miles and 4,000 feet into their hike, June 17th for our students took on a distinctly winter tone.  Two feet of old snow, eight inches of new, a frozen lake for a base camp.  This is the perfect location for twelve days of wilderness survival, wilderness navigation and an introduction to wilderness medicine.  

What an amazing group we have.  Our students succeeded in this challenging environment and are now at our facility in the bustling town of Condon.  See below for  more details.