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Old 10-29-2008, 05:29   #4
hoot72
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: North of the Kingdom of Brunei, South of Mindanao
Posts: 482
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReconRover View Post
Took the Wildnerness EMT course at the NOLS HQ in Lander WY. The absolute best course I have ever taken...that includes all tactical classes. The portion of the course is on the Wilderness Medical Insititute curriculum.

Challenging...hell yeah. Head out in -28 weather to head up a mock rescue that runs into the wee hours, get em stabilized, transported...all in waist deep snow, back to the class room...then a 100 question test when your mind is numb.

Each task taught is then immediately practiced outdoors. Rotation at the local hospital ER really brings home the training.

It's a 30 day course, but you walk away with your Wyoming State EMT-B, National EMT registration, and Wilderness Medicine certification. Courses are taught all over the world, and my other team medic went to one in Australia...taught in a cave.

I know there are a lot of courses out there, and that the 18D's rule the roost with their skills, and real world knowledge...but for all others, I'd challenge you to take this course.

Because it's an outdoors based education facility, you do get the "liberal outdoorsy types"...but honestly, getting away from my fellow knuckle draggers was pretty refreshing....and yes, some quiet types teach, and attend the courses.

http://www.nols.edu
Did a similar course on pulau ubin in singapore a couple of year's back; program was run by former naval officers of the singapore navy and it was very professionally organized and conducted. Only thing was a lot squeezed into 5 days and it was on the go from 8am till 9pm with an hour for lunch, a 30 minute break for snacks at 4pm and dinner at 7.

Intensive but we didn't touch on IV insertions but well worth doing if one is into the outdoors or needs a refresher on basic first aid and situational awarness on how to deal with trauma cases in the bush.

My certs up for renewal early 09 so will have to go through the program again.

I would imagine the program in the states would be more intensive but we had the similar tests; search and rescue scenarios, ABC checks, spinal injuries, puncture wounds, broken/fractured bones, CPR situations with an evac at night over a mile and a half and then a sea evac back to Singapore as part of the scenario.
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