What is an expedition medic?

Expedition medicine is a relatively new branch of emergency care, but one which draws on many skills within the prehospital domain. Defining an expedition medic officer's (EMO) role is difficult as it can be a nebulous term that encompasses skills from doctors, paramedics, nurses and physiotherapists. Often the unique skill sets can be matched to the particularities of an expedition but dealing with medical emergencies can require clinical (and non-clinical knowledge) from more than one specialty.

Despite each expedition bringing varying challenges, the key components for the EMO remain constant as clinical, expeditional and personal. Clinical and expeditional skills will be largely dictated by the expedition details (location, environment, goals), and a rich variety of personal skills will be an asset in most situations. Expeditions are a lot of hard work, so during times the medic is not required, they are expected to contribute in other ways; we have operated sound booms for film crews, caught seals for researchers and been chase truck drivers to name a few. It is certainly an advantage if the EMO can bring expedition-appropriate skills in all areas (such as trauma management, bushcraft or climbing experience).