Introduction to Backcountry Skiing and CME - Donner Summit / Tahoe California
INTRODUCTION TO BACKCOUNTRY SKIING AND WINTER WILDERNESS MEDICINE
In conjunction with Alpine Skills International, this course combines continuing medical education (CME) curriculum with an introduction to Backcountry Skiing course. The didactic and field sections of the CME course are designed to provide medical professionals the knowledge and skills to apply their medical expertise in the winter wilderness environment
LEARN PRACTICAL WINTER WILDERNESS MEDICINE SKILLS IN THE OUTDOOR WINTER ENVIRONMENT
Through lectures, hands-on sessions and scenarios, you will enhance your medical training and learn to apply your medical knowledge to the winter outdoor environment.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
- Acute Mountain Sickness
- Hypothermia
- Ski and Snowboard Injury Patterns
- Avalanche Resuscitation
- Frostbite
- Fractures and Dislocations in the the Wilderness
- Wilderness Medical Kits
- Avalanche Rescue
Intro to Backcountry Skiing Topics:
- Appropriate clothing and accessories
- Touring equipment options
- How to interpret the avalanche bulletin
- Intro to avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel
- Uphill touring techniques with climbing skins
- Step-around turns and kick-turns
- Avalanche hazard recognition and avoidance
- Downhill group travel techniques
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
After attending this conference, the participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate increased awareness of medical problems unique to the wilderness and austere environments
- Prevent, diagnose and manage illnesses or injuries in the wilderness and/or remote location
- Promote increased awareness of safety and accident prevention in wilderness surroundings
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Wilderness Medical Society and Tahoe Wilderness Medicine, LLC. The Wilderness Medical Society is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Tahoe Wilderness Medicine, LLC reserves the right to change or substitute course faculty without advance or prior notice to participants.
Faculty
Eric Stendell
Medical Director - MD, FACEP, DiMM
Eric Stendell is a board certified emergency physician at a busy Level II trauma center and a Clinical Assistant Professor at University of Nevada School of Medicine (UNSOM). While training at the UCSF-Fresno Emergency medicine Program he gained extensive wilderness medicine experience while providing medical direction to area National Parks and providing medical training for Park rangers from all around the country. Dr. Stendell has completed the UIAA-ICAR Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DIMM), advanced wilderness life support (AWLS) course, and the AIARE level 1 and level 2 courses. He is an avid mountaineer, backcountry skier, rock climber and mountain biker. He has had the pleasure of combining these passions while working in local ski clinics (evaluating and treating acutely injured skiers – Northstar Medical Clinic), working as a physician on the Alpine Meadows Ski patrol and as a member of the local Search and Rescue (SAR). These duties have included providing medical training for ski patrollers, SAR team members, and Dr. Stendell is currently the medical advisor to the local SAR team. Dr. Stendell has given several conference lectures on wilderness medicine and most recently lectured and taught field sessions at the AWLS course in Lake Tahoe. He is also a candidate for the Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine.
Bill Seline
Director of Avalanche Education - EMT_P, AIARE instructor, Mountain Guide
Bill Seline has been a Mountain Guide and Instructor for Alpine Skills International for the past 14 years, guiding trips in Alaska and the Sierra, the Swiss and French Alps, and on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Bill also teaches level 1 and level 2 avalanche courses and has served on the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), Education Committee. He is a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and is a Level 3 Telemark Instructor. Bill has been certified as a Top Rope Site Manager and completed the Ski Guide Course with the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). Bill is a Certified Paramedic and has worked on an ambulance for over 30 years; he is currently the Deputy Fire Chief of the Truckee Fire District and also teaches CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, and Wilderness EMT classes. He has been a flight paramedic with Care Flight and an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) Instructor for the National Ski Patrol. He is a past member of the Far West Professional Ski Patrol and current member of the American Mountain Guides Association and Wilderness Medical Society. His education includes a Bachelor’s of Science from California State University, Fresno in Health Science and a Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Brandman (Chapman) University.
John Swanson
Education Director - MD, FACEP
John Swanson is a board certified emergency physician at a Level II trauma center and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada School of Medicine (UNSOM). He is currently the medical director for the Northstar Medical Clinic, which manages acute ski and snowboard injuries on the mountain. He has served as medical director and assistant medical director for the Tahoe Forest Hospital District EMS and the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) in Reno respectively. As well as the Medical Director for Careflight. Dr. Swanson is currently an ATLS instructor and has presented various topics in emergency and wilderness medicine to a variety of audiences including UNSOM, numerous ski patrols, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Society for Academic Emergency Physicians. He is also AIARE level 1 and level 2 certified.
Faculty Disclosure
All faculty reported no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
