Ocean medicine course

From World Extreme Medicine: There are still places on an ocean medicine course running from Monday May 7 to Thursday May 10 2018 in Plymouth. The £995 course is designed to give medical professionals the training they need in emergency situations at sea.

The course has an experienced faculty behind it with experts from many different fields surrounding ocean medicine helping to develop the content.

The training will cover common illnesses and conditions occurring at sea as well as boat handling, search and rescue and abandon ship procedures. There has been a significant peak of interest in ocean expeditions and adventures, so now is an important time to ensure people are safe and medics have proper training.

Only 5% of the ocean has been explored by humans**, so expeditions are likely to reach remote – and sometimes dangerous – locations, putting explorers far from hospitals and proper medical care. Without sufficient preparation and training the results can be fatal.

Renowned experts and professionals at Devon-based World Extreme Medicine (https://worldextrememedicine.com/) have developed a ground-breaking Ocean Medicine Course. The course is designed to give existing medics and healthcare professionals the practical and immersive training for events and expeditions taking place at sea that is vital for the safety of those involved.

For £995, participants will learn about hypothermia and hyperthermia, boat handling with search and rescue, situational awareness, abandon ship procedures and physiological first aid. As well as this, conditions such as prolonged salt water exposure, nutrition, sea sickness and public health will be covered. The course accreditation will be offered through the Edinburgh-based Royal College of Surgeons. Participants will also be given the opportunity to complete the Royal Yacht Association (RYA) Level 2 Powerboat Handling Qualification.

The medical course is devised by leading professionals in the field of oceanic exploration, sports people and logisticians. The teaching faculty includes Dr Alex Rowe (https://worldextrememedicine.com/about/meet-the-team/alex-rowe/), a medical director with over ten years of experience in maritime search and rescue operations, Dr Claire Bailey, a member of the all-female Round the World Race crew and survivor of ten days adrift in the Southern Ocean and Chris Brooker, a marine biologist with over two decades’ experience working in a range of diverse marine environments. Dr Nick Carter, a consultant working in Rheumatology and Sports Medicine and a part of the Pen Hadow 90° North Expedition is also one of the faculty along with Nuala Moore, an Irish ice swimmer who will discuss her recent record breaking swim off Cape Horn in South America.

Also on the faculty team is Laura Penhaul (https://worldextrememedicine.com/about/meet-the-team/laura-penhaul/), a former lead physiotherapist for Team GB Paralympians, Ian Couch, Safety and Operations Manager for the Talisker Atlantic Challenge who has rowed the Atlantic Ocean twice and Catherine Buckland, a commercial diver and dive instructor.

Mark Hannaford, CEO and founder of World Extreme Medicine said, “We have brought together a great team of specialists who have created a breakthrough training course to help keep people safe during ocean expeditions. It’s really important that people are prepared for water-based events and I think it is great that we can continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in extreme medicine.”

World Extreme Medicine will also be hosting a three-day conference at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, Scotland for doctors and medical minds to share their extreme medicine experiences and promote cross-disciplinary working. In its seventh year, the World Extreme Medicine Conference still continues to drive new and innovative approaches to medical practices in some of the world’s most inhospitable areas. The conference runs from Friday November 23 to Sunday November 25 2018.

The opportunity to support the World Extreme Medicine Conference is available, with an assortment of sponsorship levels offered. For more information, please visit the World Extreme Medicine website (http://www.extrememedicineexpo.com/).

Places on the World Extreme Medicine Ocean Medicine Course are available through the website (https://worldextrememedicine.com/products/courses/ocean-medicine/ocean-medicine-plymouth-uk/). The course starts at 8:30 am on May 7 and ends at 4:00 pm on May 10 2018.

Tickets to the World Extreme Medicine Conference are also now available and can be purchased through the website at http://www.extrememedicineexpo.com/.