Jess Johnstone Pratt earnt herself a Student Shout Out last term for her role in organising Liverpool Wilderness Medicine Society’s Intro Weekend. Here she lifts the veil on all that entails – cue fake blood, moulage and Australian accents(?)
Wilderness Medicine (LWMS) is a Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM) society. We are a very active society that has weekly teaching sessions, educational weekends away as well as participating in national student competitions. PHEM is a new subspecialty of Emergency Medicine and includes organisations such as the Air Ambulance, BASICs, Mountain Rescue etc.
I joined LWMS in first year and it was one of the best things I have done whilst being at university!
I am a former President of Liverpool Wilderness Medicine and this year I am one of the Intro Weekend Reps along with Emily Jones. Every year, LWMS organise two teaching weekends away - Intro Weekend and Advanced Weekend.
Intro Weekend is aimed at students with varying levels of experience in PHEM. From those who have attended a several of our teaching sessions to those with no experience at all or are non-medics. As part of my role, I wrote OSCE-style medical simulations as well as organised the logistics of a big group trip away! This year we went to North Wales and throughout the weekend we had teaching workshops, and simulated patient scenarios based on common emergency presentations. These are run by alumni at various stages in specialty training along with some of our senior members who have intercalated or have relevant experience. We also organise a mass casualty simulation and a search and rescue simulation every year which are amazing fun! We use moulage and real medical equipment to make our scenarios as realistic as possible. (Think lots of fake blood and wounds!)
We've had scenarios covering everything from natural disasters and RTCs to very unlucky climbers/hikers and polytrauma from livestock on the loose!
This year our mass casualty was Bondi Rescue themed and so there were lots of slightly questionable Australian accents from our simulated patients! Although our weekends provide lots of teaching, we also have socials in the evenings so it's a great way to get to know people and enjoy yourself!
We organise teaching sessions every Thursday at 7pm in the Guild’s Library Room and anyone across year groups are welcome to join at any part of the year. We regularly post about future socials and upcoming speakers or events on our Instagram. Our next away event is Advanced Weekend in March, which is aimed at Years 3 to 5 acting as doctors with Years 1 and 2 acting as simulated patients. Unlike Intro Weekend the days are not split between simulation and workshops and are instead continuous simulation as a field hospital in 'Merzonia'.
Merzonia is a very large (made up!) country which has every environment on earth and some incredibly unlucky residents!
Patients can present with everything from tropical diseases to frostbite, trauma or a UTI. Again, we have alumni who return to facilitate teaching and provide feedback. It’s a brilliant weekend and loads of fun! Plus, it’s good for clinical assessment revision!
Discover more
- Follow Liverpool Wilderness Medicine on Instagram and the Guild for all the latest on their activities.
- Know someone who is putting in as much effort as Jess? Why not nominate them for a Student Shout Out this term?