Wilderness Medicine

Johns Hopkins Department of Emergency Medicine

The Wilderness Medicine course focuses on practical approaches to emergency situations, illness and injuries, as well as teaching the basic skills needed to head into the great outdoors.  We use a combination of didactic lectures, simulation training, practical demonstrations and outdoor group scenarios/exercises.  The course is held for 2 weeks each Spring at Johns Hopkins and in a beautiful outdoor setting in the Catoctin Mountain Park in western Maryland.  No outdoor experience required. 

2009 Dates: April 22 - May 5, 2009

Here is just a sampling of the topics we will cover:

• Emergency Response - Standard approach to emergency situations; ABCs for medical and injuries; Scene safety and security.
• Environmental Medicine - High-altitude medicine; Heat and cold illness; Bites and envenomations.
• Trauma and Injuries - Injury evaluation and care; Orthopedic stabilization; Ocular trauma; Penetrating wounds; Head trauma.
• Infectious Disease - Immunizations for exotic travel; diarrheal diseases and other travel illnesses; Water and sanitation.
• Wilderness Travel - Outdoor gear selection; Map reading and GPS introduction; Planning and packing for group/individual travel;

Course Directors:

Director
Thomas Kirsch, MD, MPH, FACEP
Director of Operations
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine

Co-Director
Michael Millin, MD, MPH, FACEP
Assistant Professor
JHU School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine

Co-Director
Emily Calvello, MD, MPH
Resident
Department of Emergency Medicine Residency Program

2007 Wilderness Medicine Class