Expedition Medicine Competency Framework

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In 2015 the Faculty published “Guidance for Medical Provision for Wilderness Medicine”. This was produced in response to requests for information from predominantly younger, less experience providers/practitioners who were unsure what skills they might need to medically support an Expedition, what the ‘rules’ for this might be and unsure where to find impartial advice to inform their choices.In mid 2017 the medical cell of the Royal Geographical Society approached the Faculty to see if there were synergies in working together to develop the PHEM Expedition Competency Framework further.

This framework is due for the Faculty’s normal 3 yearly review in 2018 in any case and this seemed an ideal opportunity to bring together two organisations with considerable expertise is this field along with acknowledged SMEs and some junior colleagues to review the original framework and perhaps look in more detail at some other essential aspects of Expedition medical support.

A Working Group, co-Chaired by Dr John Hall and Dr Chris Imray, with representatives from the Faculty, the Royal Geographical Society Medical Cell and a wide cross section of organisations and/or individuals with considerable experience in Expedition medical support has been formed to progress this work. It is envisaged that this will be completed and published by the end of 2018.