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DOVER-FOXCROFT - Mayo Regional Hospital is sponsoring an intensive, backcountry medical training course from Sept. 9-14. This 54-hour, hands-on Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician Upgrade (WEMT) course will show students how to deal with medical emergencies when they are miles from help and dialing 911 is not an option. Mayo will also sponsor a 36-hour Wilderness Advanced Life Support (WALS) course from Nov. 18-22. Both courses are recommended for all outdoor professionals and enthusiasts who spend time in remote areas. Graduates will be certified by Wilderness Medical Associates. Call Mayo Regional Hospital and ask for Judy Gerrish at (207) 564-4207 for logistical and pricing information, or Wilderness Medical Associates at (888) WILD-MED for curriculum information. Information is also available at www.wildmed.com. Wilderness medicine differs from traditional first aid in three respects. First, transport times are measured in hours and days rather than minutes, so many phases of patient care that usually occur in a hospital must be carried out in the field. Second, severe environments dramatically increase the complexity of any emergency and heighten risks to patients and rescuers alike. Third, limited equipment makes improvisation and resourcefulness essential. Professional instructors from Wilderness Medical Associates will address these issues and more, and are leaders in the field of wilderness medical training. Classes are fast-paced with emphasis on practical skills. Mornings are devoted to lectures, while afternoons and evenings are spent outside working on everything from stretcher construction to full-scale rescue simulations. A number of realistic simulations, complete with fake wounds and stage blood, will be conducted. Past students report of real-life rescues that felt "just like a simulation." |