MEDS 465: Wilderness and Survival Medicine

Curriculum and Teaching Schedule

USC-Undergraduate Campus. Mon/Fri, 2:00pm-4:00pm

Date: / Subject: / Faculty: / Notes:
Week 1 / 1/15 Wed / -Class Introduction: Intro to Wilderness Medicine / -M. DeClerck / Classroom
1/17 Fri / -Introduction to Patient Assessment/Physical exam / -M. DeClerck / Classroom/Lab
Week 2 / 1/22 Wed / -Search and Rescue Lecture/Anatomy of a Search (1st hour)
-Lost person behavior
(2nd hour) / -SAR group
-M. DeClerck / Classroom,
1/24 Fri / -Lab: SAR/Patient Packaging
-Lab: Lost person behavior/Anatomy of a Search / M. DeClerck
SAR group / USC Campus vsSierra Madre SAR Station
Week 3 / 1/29 Wed / - International Medicine: Where there is no doctor (1st hour)
- Fever in the Traveller (2nd hour) / -R. Donaldson
-W. Mallon vs K. Challoner / Classroom
1/31 Fri / Lab: Climbing injuries and knotsvs
Lecture: Outdoor Sports Injuries / M. DeClerck
D. Pomeranz
S. Johnson / USC Climbing wall
Week 4 / 2/5 Wed / -High Altitude Medicine/Physiology (1st hour)
-Lightning Injuries (2nd hour) / -R. Paquette
-R. Paquette / Classroom
2/7 Fri / Lab: Climbing Injuries/Knots that can save you vs
Lecture: Pomeranz experience / -D. Pomeranz
-M. DeClerck / USC Climbing wall
Classroom
Week 5 / 2/12 Wed / -Wild-land Fires (1st hour)
-Fire Injuries (2nd hour) / -V. Carnewal
-S. Sanko / Classroom
2/14 Fri / Lab: Survival, How to start a fire / -M. DeClerck / USC Campus
Week 6 / 2/19 Wed / -Avalanches: principle of survival, safety, rescue (1st hour)
+/- Lab: Use of avalanche beacons, poles, shovels / -R. Paquette
-M. DeClerck / Classroom
2/21 Fri / -Hypothermia/Cold injury (1st hour)
-Hyperthermia/Heat illness (2nd hour) / -M. DeClerck
-M. DeClerck / Classroom
Week 7 / 2/26 Wed / -Survival at Sea (1st hour)
-Cold Water Immersion (2nd hour) / -P. Heiderscheidt
-M. DeClerck / Classroom
2/28 Fri / Lab: Coast Guard Air-Station Field Trip / P. Heiderscheidt
M. DeClerck / CG Air Station/LAX
Week 8 / 3/5 Wed / -Plant Toxicology (1st hour)
-Plant Herbalism, Medicinal (2nd hour) / -S. Nordt
-S. Nordt / Classroom
3/7 Fri / Lab: Plant/Huntington Gardens Field trip / S. Nordt
M. DeClerck / Huntington Gardens
Week 9 / 3/12 Wed / -Wound Management (1st hour)
-Lab: Suturing (2nd hour) / -R. Hooker
-M. DeClerck / Classroom+Lab
3/14 Fri / Midterm Exam (25% of grade) / M. DeClerck / Classroom
Week 10 / Spring Break
Spring Break
Week 11 / 3/26 Wed / -Wilderness Orthopedics (1st hour)
-Lab: Splinting (2nd hour) / -W. Mallon
-M. DeClerck / Classroom+Lab
3/28 Fri / -Student Presentations vs
-Disaster Medicine
vs
-Other lecture / Classroom
Week 12 / 4/2 Wed / -Large Animal Attacks (1st hour)
-Snake Bites (2nd hour) / -M. DeClerck
(1st hour)
-S. Nordt (2nd hour) / Classroom
4/4 Fri / Lab: Snakes bites/Herpetology / S. Nordt
M. DeClerck / LA zoovs NHM Herpetology
Week 13 / 4/9 Wed / -Waterborne Illness (1st hour)
-Medical Contra-indications to travel (2nd hour) / -R. Paquette
-W. Mallon / Classroom
4/11 Fri / Lab: Water Purification techniques / Y. DeClerck
M. DeClerck / USC Campus
Week 14 / 4/16 Wed / -Combat Medicine
-Disaster Medicine / -L. Rodriguez
-C. Celentano / Classroom
4/18 Fri / Lab: Surviving the unexpected night out / M. DeClerck / USC Campus vs Griffith Park
Week 15 / 4/23 Wed / -Diving Injuries and Hyperbaric Medicine (1st hour)
-Marine Envenomation (2nd hour) / -S. Swadron
-S. Swadron / Classroom (Unless we do Wrigley Field trip, in that case this day will be cancelled)
4/25 Fri / Lab: Wrigley Institute Chamber
-See 4/23 Curriculum) / -M. DeClerck
-S. Swadron
-R. Paquette
-W. Mallon
-K. Higgins / Weekend Trip to Wrigley Friday-Saturday
Week 16 / 4/30 Wed / -Expedition Medicine (1st hour)
-Medical Kits (2nd hour) / -M. DeClerck
-M. DeClerck / Classroom
5/2 Fri / -Final Day of Class: Student Presentations / -M. DeClerck and Students / Classroom
FinalWeek / 5/7-5/14 / Final Exam / M. DeClerck / Classroom

Of note:

-Some class experiences will be off campus (approximately 4 Friday afternoons will be off campus) and run longer than 2 hours, lecture time at other dates will be adjusted to compensate for these overages.

-Students will need to be available for trip to Catalina that will take up either a full day on a Friday (am to pm) or possibly a 2-day trip (Friday am to Saturday pm).

-Dates and topics are subject to change at this time until all speakers are confirmed.