Expedition and Wilderness Medicine

Module Aims
To provide healthcare professionals with the skills, knowledge and methodical approach to prepare and plan a successful and safe expedition in a variety of settings.

Module Content

• Pre-expedition screening and medical assessment
• Preparation for expedition
• Physical and mental preparation for expedition
• Pre-expedition timeline
• Evacuation planning
• In-country training considerations

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop appropriate screening of potential participants to mitigate risk and improve the viability and success of an expedition.
2. Critically interpret the evidence base and application of knowledge with respect to the planning required for health considerations of expedition participants which can be applied to different environments.

Module aims

• To provide healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to plan and execute a successful and safe expedition in a polar and/or mountain environment.
• To anticipate potential complications which may arise within cold and high altitude in respect both of the expedition participants and the treatments available.

Module Content

• Expedition and emergency planning
• Situational awareness
• Group health considerations in polar and mountain environments
• Medical kits
• Environmental medical considerations
• Mental health

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically interpret and apply the evidence base in the planning and management of the health considerations within a polar and mountain environment to minimise risk to health.
2. Develop and demonstrate skills to appraise, reflect upon and adapt treatments considering the constraints and considerations of the polar and mountain environment.

Module Aims

• To provide healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to plan and execute a successful and safe expedition in an aquatic environment.
• To anticipate potential complications which may arise within remote ocean, river and water environments in respect both of the expedition participants and the treatments available.

Module Content

• Expedition and emergency planning
• Situational awareness
• Group health considerations in water environments
• Medical kits
• Environmental medical considerations
• Mental health

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically interpret and apply the evidence base in the planning and management of the health considerations for an ocean, river/water-based expedition.
2. Develop skills to appraise, reflect upon and adapt treatments considering the environmental constraints and considerations in aquatic expedition situations.

Module Aims

• To provide healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to plan and execute a successful and safe expedition in a desert and/or tropical environment.
• To anticipate potential complications which may arise within desert and/or tropical environments in respect both of the expedition participants and the treatments available.

Module Content

• Expedition and emergency planning
• Situational awareness
• Group health considerations in desert and tropical environments
• Medical kits
• Environmental medical considerations
• Mental health

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically interpret and apply the evidence base in the planning and management of the health considerations for a desert and/or tropical expedition.
2. Critically appraise, reflect upon and adapt treatments considering the constraints and considerations of desert and tropical environments.

Module Aims

• To provide healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to anticipate, plan for and treat potential common medical problems which may arise on expeditions and the additional challenges which exist within remote environments.
• To consider the importance of the effective treatment of minor and/or major conditions and the impact of them on the expedition’s success.

Module Content

• Cardiovascular and respiratory
• Endocrine and neurological and mental health
• Women’s health
• Skin and wounds
• Musculoskeletal
• Ophthalmic and dental

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically consider the evidence base and available treatments to plan and manage common health considerations in an austere setting.
2. Critically appraise common and/or likely medical problems which may occur on an expedition and the effects which differing environments and situations will have on their management, treatment and, ultimately, the success of the expedition.

Module Aims

• To provide healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to be able to transfer knowledge learnt within expedition and wilderness medicine to a natural disaster situation, providing safe medical care within a variety of environments.
• To anticipate additional potential complications which may arise within an emergency situation. Using knowledge gained over the previous modules, use and adapt that knowledge to an emergency situation or natural disaster.

Module Content

• Emergency planning
• Situational awareness
• Public health considerations
• Medical kits
• Environmental medical considerations
• Mental health

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically interpret and apply the evidence base in expedition medicine to the planning and management within an emergency situation, such as a natural disaster.
2. Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of safe medical care in austere environments and consider the potential complications within a variety of emergency situations.

As each Medical Council has their own rules/regulations with regard to Postgraduate study we recommend that you contact your local Medical Council with regard to recognition.

Upon completion of the course the University would invite you to a graduation ceremony and provide your certificate which makes no reference to the fact that the course was studied online and is therefore typically recognised the same as any other UK University qualification.

Rest assured, the overall Postgraduate Diploma carries a total of 1,200 CPD points, with the MSc an additional 600 CPD points, and all official certifications are issued directly by the University.

When you study one of our programmes you may be surprised to find that there are no lectures or seminars. Your learning will be self-directed meaning that rather than being told information you find it for yourself (with tutor guidance and support). We do this via a series of clinically rich scenarios which your tutor will post on our academic forum which you and your classmates will research, respond to and discuss.

You will be assessed through the Academic Forum, Reflective Journal and Assignments. Learning will be carried out using our online learning platform: Moodle.

You can study whenever and wherever you want - our programmes are totally flexible to fit around your other work and life commitments.

The course is specifically designed so that part of your study is the application of theory to practice in your day job.

We typically suggest that students aim to log into the Moodle platform daily. We recommend a "little and often" approach for reading, reflection and/or posting. High achieving students will typically spend 1-2 hours dedicated to their studies a day; 10 hours per week is sufficient time to spend on the platform.

Those who cannot dedicate more time than once/twice per week may struggle with the demands of this postgraduate programme.

Yes, everything is done entirely online through our learning platform, Moodle. You do not need to attend the University.

All of our courses are delivered in English, so proficiency in the English language is essential for success. If English is not your first language, we require proof of competency as part of your application. We accept the following as proof of English Language skills:

We Accept a Range of English Language Qualifications
While IELTS and TOEFL are among the most commonly used English tests, we understand that students come from diverse backgrounds — and we’re happy to work with you to accept a wide range of other recognised English language qualifications.

We accept IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
Our most commonly accepted test, IELTS is globally recognised and widely used for university admissions.

We accept TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
Another widely accepted test, TOEFL assesses your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in an academic setting.

We accept English Medium of Instruction (EMI) Letters
Many of our international students provide an EMI (English Medium Instruction) letter from their previous institution. This letter should confirm that you were taught in the medium of English. It is a popular and widely accepted form of proof, especially if you have completed prior academic studies in English.

Our University partners Requirements
The University of South Wales accepts an overall score of 6.0 (minimum of 5.5 for each band) and The University of Buckingham accepts an overall score of 6.5 (minimum of 6.0 for each band).

Our Flexible Instalment Plan is designed to offer ultimate flexibility to pay for your programme. You have the choice of two payment options:

Make an Upfront Payment in Full: For those who prefer to settle their fees upfront, you can pay the full amount at the beginning of your programme.

Interest-Free Payments: Alternatively, you can choose to spread your payments out with interest-free instalments every month for the duration of your course.

These options are separate from our existing lending partners, which you can explore further on our programme pages. We believe that education should be accessible to all, and our Flexible Instalment Plan is just one of the ways we are committed to supporting you in your academic journey.

We currently offer two discounts: the Early Bird Discount and the Action Taker Discount. The Early Bird discount allows you to save up to £500 or more, available only to self-funders and is a limited-time offer that runs for the entirety of November for the March cohort or the entirety of May for the September cohort. Our Action Taker Discount allows you to save up to £150 off for PGCert and £250 off for PGDip/2-year MSc programmes. To qualify for Action Takers, you must pay the deposit within 7 days of acceptance.

For Early Bird Discounts, the discount is visible if your application and acceptance are completed within the required timeframe. For Action Taker Discounts, it will reflect once conditions are met.