Is "Travel Medicine First Responder" worthwhile vs "Wilderness First Responder"

heimbig

OnTheRoadAtLast
Is "Travel Medicine First Responder" worthwhile vs "Wilderness First Responder"

The 7 day "Travel Medicine First Responder" is taught only about once per year anywhere in the world. This summer in Thailand:

https://www.wildmed.com/wilderness-.../travel-medicine-first-responder/course-4865/

Is it worthwhile to do the this or just take the 7 day "Wilderness First Responder" for a couple who are planning to circumnavigate for 8 years and who tend to go off the beaten track?

Are 7 day courses more than needed?

The "Wilderness First Responder" is taught regularly some where within driving distance of us (west coast USA).

The 2 courses are similar and follow similar outline "travel med" is not certified BUT does cover issues relating to 3rd world travel (to what extent is not clear.)

Thanks,
 

Arclight

SAR guy
Interesting - that's the first I've heard of that class. It sounds like the WFR class (which is an excellent resource) but with some of the "in the woods" emphasis swapped out for disease prevention, hygiene and evacuation training. I wouldn't change your plans greatly to attend this, unless you want to go enjoy Thailand.

The 7-day WFR is pretty much the standard for backcountry leaders that take youth groups and such out. It has a lot of good info on "keeping small problems from becoming big ones," the usual trauma first-response stuff you'd expect, and a lot of medical scenarios - how to decide if a tummy ache is something that may kill your patient in 24 hours.

If you can spare the time and money, it's very good training and delivered in an immersive format. If it's the only course you plan to take for a long time, I'd say do it.

At a minimum, at least take the 2-day WFA class. This will give you a framework for what to do if your partner gets bit by a rattlesnake or spills a kettle of boiling tea all over their chest.

Arclight
 

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