# Wilderness upgrade for EMT-B?



## maximus (Mar 31, 2011)

Hi, I was wondering if there is anyone in the WA area who know of some good wilderness upgrade courses for an EMT-B to get to WEMT. I live in the Bellingham area and I don't know of any specific courses offered in the area.

Thanks


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## yowzer (Apr 1, 2011)

San Juan Island EMS has periodic WEMT upgrade classes. I don't think they have any scheduled yet for this year, though.


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## mroutdoorsman (Apr 5, 2011)

maximus said:


> Hi, I was wondering if there is anyone in the WA area who know of some good wilderness upgrade courses for an EMT-B to get to WEMT. I live in the Bellingham area and I don't know of any specific courses offered in the area.
> 
> Thanks



Skagit Valley Community College offers WEMT a few times a year.

The flier is old but the course is still offered. The contact information for Dennis Graver is current... He is an amazing instructor and am really enjoying his teaching style for EMT-B.


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## mroutdoorsman (Apr 5, 2011)

Here is the URL for the flier. Post count was too low with the last post... So sorry for the double post but was required.

http://www.skagit.edu/image_upload/WildEMT_FlierW2009.pdf


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## IvanD (May 3, 2011)

If you take WFR with SOLO, and then take your EMT-B somewhere else. You can send your certificates to them and they will convert it to a WEMT.

That's what my instructor told me when I finished my WFR and thats where I plan to do..


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## Mike K (Jun 19, 2011)

Check out Wilderness Medicine Institute. They have instructors that tour all around most mountain states.


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## Epictetus (Jun 20, 2011)

Remote Medical International is nearly in your backyard..

you can get the stuff below in 10 days if you already have your EMT-B
Wilderness EMT
EMT-B Refresher
CPR for the Healthcare Provider
Medical Person in Charge
PHTLS


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 20, 2011)

+1 for Remote Med. I know several of the instructors, and they teach a good, albeit mostly useless, class. (unless of course you're planning on working as a guide or need the WEMT class for some reason.)

I think in 95% of the cases WEMT is taken by folks who just want to add more post nominals to their sig line.


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## Epictetus (Jun 20, 2011)

Or it could be that WEMT interests you and you know you need to do continuing Ed credits somehow...

Or even that it interests you and that one course that you wanted to know the info from but everyone said it was useless... Is the cert that gets you the job that pays double what your previous gig payed.. The MPIC in my case.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 20, 2011)

I didn't say it was 100% useless. Just that most people who take the course overpay to learn skills and treatment that they will never need (or in the case of the MPIC) will never be cleared to use. 

Sorry.


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## Epictetus (Jun 20, 2011)

I understand.. Others said it was useless before I took WEMT & MPIC. 

Coming from a teaching background I didn't have any issues with people wanting to learn more. It's their dime and if they want tons of letters behind their name then so be it.

I look at an emergency as being partly defined by having a lack of resources. In that situation a WEMT can be beneficial because of the focus put on the lack of resources idea.
Will you always find yourself in the woods with no one around? No... 
It's more likely to find yourself helping neighbors after storms and tornados cut you off for a prolonged amount of time with no traction splints or ems supplies readily available. Just my $.02

I just happened to find myself in a situation where a WEMT and MPIC are the prerequisit for a job and luckily I had those along with my EMT-I. After I do the company sponsored DMT training this month, I'm off to the boat.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 22, 2011)

I'm never one to begrudge anyone who wants additional education. The WEMT class is good for that, however, in most cases (I qualify it with a most, because there are exceptions) the W portion of the class is a bunch of skills that the average EMT will never use. Ever. 

And I call BS on the rationale that "the WEMT may be the only person around after a natural disaster." One in a million shot. If you're the only trained person around, you'll have bigger issues than trying to make a traction splint out of a stick and t-shirt. Oh, and you'll be practicing at the "first aider" level without medical control, don't forget. (most agencies don't allow for improv or freelancing)

As for MPIC, it was designed for a member of a ship's crew to have "some" training to help in some cases that might not require immediate medivac. However, it's not a replacement for ALS, and frankly, I'd be reluctant to let some guy who took a 10 day class stuff in a folly catheter or start an IV on me. If your job involves you working as a deck hand and you've got an MPIC, that's great, but expect the medical stuff to be secondary to the "real work". Also, how does an MPIC maintain skill proficiency? Is there any oversight or medical control? 

I know a few guys who've taken the WEMT class at Remote Med and bragged to me that they can do "all the stuff I can, and then some". I always reply, "we're not on a boat."

Congrats on landing a job where you will be using your both WEMT and MPIC. I'm sure you're in the minority.


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## Epictetus (Jun 23, 2011)

> Is there any oversight or medical control?



yes there is actually. 24/7 back at headquarters in Louisiana.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 23, 2011)

I'd be very interested to hear more about this job, see the actual job description and read the protocols, specifically those related to the MPIC scope.  Can you share any of that?


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## Epictetus (Jun 23, 2011)

I don't have them in front of my but i can give you an overview.

12 hour shifts 7 days a week is when the clinic is open.

first couple hours are safety inspections and the rest of the day is open clinic. be available for all emergencies 24/7.

protocols are based on what the doc feels comfortable with you doing individually. there are other qualified people on the boat but they are all divers and welders, etc.. my job is to just be in charge of running the clinic and relaying info to the doctors for what emergencies come up as well. ultimately it is the doc's decision as to what will happen in a situation.

in general MPIC covers
emergency dental, staples, sutures, hygiene, IVs, shots, foley catheters, super glottic airways (king, etc), extended care....
on top of the regular EMT-B type stuff. 

since it is a commercial diving vessel there are two ROV's a miniSub and the regular diving gear for mixed gas. they will dive up to 1500ft from what i understand. this all means that you have to have your DMT as well to run any hyperbaric chambers, etc..
You also end up playing pharmacist to fill any prescriptions the doc prescribes to crew. 

clinic has an exam table with about 30 cameras pointed at it so the doc can zoom in from home and see what he wants to see. the use of an xray machine and sonogram are also used to get info to the doc so he can make better decisions.

other than that you will see everything from "i have a tummy ache" to "steve just ripped his thumb off".. etc...


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 23, 2011)

Epictetus said:


> I don't have them in front of my but i can give you an overview.
> 
> 12 hour shifts 7 days a week is when the clinic is open.
> 
> ...



Sounds like an interesting experience. I hope you'll come back and write about your time on the boat.


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## Epictetus (Jun 23, 2011)

I have a blog that i started. I am going to do my best to keep up with it over the next year or so when i get out on the water. here is the address.. i will also add it to my profile.

http://wildemt.wordpress.com/


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