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#VirtualWEM20 Conference

#VirtualWEM20 Tickets Launched!

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Having reviewed COVID-19’s impact on large gatherings, we have come to the decision to move WEM20 over to the online arena (book your ticket here!).

While we understand you may be saddened to not be attending Dynamic Earth this October (we are too), everyone’s safety must take priority.
That said, we believe your continued access to new learning opportunities is also a priority, so we have a remedy…

Introducing: The Virtual World Extreme Medicine Conference 2020 (17th & 18th Oct)

For the first time in WEM history, we’re hosting a virtual conference – so you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online).

Split over two action-packed days on 17th and 18th October, you’ll encounter the biggest and best content we had planned for the stage at WEM20, plus we’re adding brand new panel sessions and speakers.

We’ve worked hard to make sure you still have a first-rate conference experience, meaning most of what you love about attending a WEM conference in person has been moved to the virtual space:

  • The reception area where you’ll find your schedule, updates from the WEM Team and our fantastic sponsors
  • Live group breakout spaces for our WEM roundtable panels and collaboration with fellow delegates
  • Networking hubs that allow you to search for and discover people to chat to, where you can then jump into a one-on-one private live video conversation
  • Our virtual exhibition hall featuring showcases from our exhibitors and a dedicated chatroom where you can find out more from them directly
  • Your personal profile, where you can share information about yourself with other delegates, upload your picture and be discovered via our networking hub

Conference-specific details, including session times, speakers and how you can get actively involved, will be released via our social media channels and email – so keep your eyes peeled!

Book WEM20 Tickets

I’m a WEM20 ticket holder – what happens now?

As a paid-up WEM20 ticket holder, you have a couple of options:

  • First refusal on tickets for our 10th anniversary WEM21 conference next year
    Contact us to request that your place be transferred to WEM21 and secure your spot months before they go on sale to the public (you’ll also receive a 10% discount on a place at #VirtualWEM20)
  • A full refund for those who can’t commit to WEM21
    You can request a full refund at any time (no need to decide right now, so no rush). We aim to process refunds within 30 days.

Why transfer a WEM20 ticket to WEM21?

A good question deserves an even better answer: because next year signals the 10th anniversary of the World Extreme Medicine Conference!

And since last year was a sell-out (leaving us with an extensive waitlist), transferring from WEM20 to WEM21 now guarantees that place – which means zero FOMO at what promises to be our most extreme event yet.

Do you have information on WEM21?

We’re still working out the details so, for now, picture this:

  • A jam-packed schedule featuring the most prolific convention-breaking, discipline-blending, boundary-shattering medics this side of the known universe.
  • Evening events where rubbing shoulders with those same maverick medics is a must – and at which we may even consider switching our waterproofs for black tie (shocker!)
  • Plus, every detail that makes a WEM Conference so career-defining: tonnes of networking, ‘get your hands dirty’ workshops, outdoor ‘rain or shine’ technical sessions, and bracing morning runs with our team to kickstart your day.

We’ll be heading back to Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh from 13th – 15th November 2021.

Can I buy my ticket to WEM21 yet?

Tickets aren’t available right now, but after the #VirtualWEM20 conference in October, you’ll be able to register your interest with us so we can update your progress and notify you when tickets go on sale.

If you’re a current WEM20 ticket holder, you can ask us to transfer your ticket to WEM21.

We’d like to sincerely thank you for your continued support and patience during what has been a trying experience for us all.
If you have any further questions, please get in touch.

 

Refund Terms & Conditions

  • If the VirtualWEM20 Conference is cancelled for whatever reason, you will receive a full refund, although you can choose to transfer your funds to the following year which guarantees your space at what we expect to be a sell-out conference.
  • For all delegates who purchased a WEM20 ticket before 22nd July 2020, we are offering you 10% off your #VirtualWEM20 ticket.
      • Please note you can only purchase up to 10 tickets (unless your original booking was of a larger size).
      • Should you choose to transfer your ticket/payment from 2020 to WEM21, and later decide to cancel, our standard cancellation terms will apply. You would also lose your 10% discount for #VirtualWEM20 Conference.
  • Refunds will be processed in line with PayPal’s terms of 30 days. Once received back from PayPal, WEM will issue the refund within 2 days.
  • WEM reserve the right to refuse the purchase of tickets and/or transfer of funds should they deem this necessary.
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#WEM20 NEW Workshop: Harnessing your inner power: Rapid recovery, resource building and personal resilience

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NOTICE: WEM20 has now moved over to the online arena becoming #VirtualWEM20 – a virtual conference to be held on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020. Immerse yourself in a WEM online environment where you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online). So, unfortunately whilst this particular workshop won’t be running, you can find our brand new #VirtualWEM20 programme including inspiring panel sessions and fascinating speakers here.

Book your place today!


“There is never enough time to rest/recover/prepare…”

In a constantly moving and ever-changing world there is very little time to truly take care of ourselves. This is even more prevalent as a medic, where you’ll frequently find yourself in challenging and extreme environments having to adapt and react as the situation in front of you unfolds. Leaving little or no time to decompress and escape the pressures and assaults on our mental stability before moving onto our next patient or case.

In our session ‘Harnessing your inner power: Rapid recovery, resource building and personal resilience’ on Day 3 of our World Extreme Medicine Conference, our workshop host Dr Kate Beaven-Marks will be discussing self-hypnosis and how it can become an incredible skill to have in your tool box for when you need to take time out and practice some much needed self-care.

There are huge benefits to be gained for clinicians and emergency workers using self-hypnosis which Kate will be discussing; including releasing and processing trauma, reducing stress, boosting resilience and building coping strategies and resources. As an experienced clinical hypnotist, Kate will be teaching you a specific self-hypnosis method during this session that can be used to help you relax and unwind anywhere and at any time (from noisy helicopter to bumpy transporter). By taking the time to look after yourself, it will leave you feeling refreshed, recharged and ready to face your next challenge.

In addition, self-hypnosis is also a remarkable tool for mental rehearsal, planning and preparing for both expected situations and training for effective contingency responses. So, if you are wanting to make more efficient use of your own inner resources to help you cope more effectively in challenging situations then this session is for you! You will also be able to use the skills learnt in this session to develop and support your colleagues by teaching and sharing what you have learnt.

Join Kate’s workshop on Day 3 – Extreme Pre-Hospital Care and Retrieval Medicine of the 2020 World Extreme Medicine Conference.

The essentials:
Who: Kate Beaven-Marks
What: ‘Harnessing your inner power: Rapid recovery, resource building and personal resilience’
When: Monday 19th October 2020 @ 11.00
Where: Boardroom

 

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Andy Elwood - World Extreme Ocean Medicine Course

Men’s Mental Health Specialist, Andy Elwood joins us at #WEM20

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NOTICE: WEM20 has now moved over to the online arena becoming #VirtualWEM20 – a virtual conference to be held on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020. Immerse yourself in a WEM online environment where you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online). So, unfortunately whilst this particular session won’t be running, you can find our brand new #VirtualWEM20 programme including inspiring panel sessions and fascinating speakers here.

Book your place today!

There is nothing more important than our mental health, it’s integral to our physical health and our ability to the best medics we can be. And so, we are delighted to have Andy Elwood, Men’s Mental Health Specialist joining us as a guest speaker at this year’s 2020 World Extreme Medicine ‘Inspiration Beyond the Ordinary’ Conference.

Risking his own life to save others, both as a Paramedic on Search and Rescue Helicopters (a career that has seen him serve 20-years in the emergency services) and as a paramedic on the battlefields of Afghanistan during military service, Andy now saves lives delivering Mental Health First Aid using an internationally recognised education and training programme first introduced to England in 2007 by the Department of Health. By campaigning and delivering this exceptional training, Andy believes he will save more lives than he would by dangling under a SAR helicopter as a paramedic.

Hugely inspiring, his approach is different, refreshing and unique, as well as serving a massive purpose to those that meet him. The conversations Andy is having are enabling culture change regarding mental health and wellbeing for both individuals and organisations, which in turn allows for more openness to occur and often difficult conversations to take place.

Believing mental health deserves parity with physical health, Andy’s initiative has seen him visit emergency services on a tour around the UK using his classic 1973 Land Rover. The project named ‘Andy’s Landie’ encourages others to speak out regarding mental health issues. By taking those that want to out on a drive, enabling them to chat and break down barriers, Andy hopes it will start them on a journey of help.

Andy will be starting the conversation around mental health on Day 2 of our World Extreme Medicine Conference. He’ll be talking candidly about mental health, its importance in today’s culture and how he believes the bravest thing he has ever done is admitting to his own vulnerability, in order to find a way through three very different challenges during his lifetime.

During his session in the biosphere entitled ’Exploring the limits of your reason why’, Andy will be giving us a unique ‘behind the scenes’ insight into life and death situations and to the potential downward spirals due to 21st Century pressures, as well as the potential harm that current pressures present. Andy will share how talking about a traumatic incident, a flashback and burnout have helped him find hope and a different ‘why’.

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Running South America with Katherine Lowrie WEM20

#WEM20 NEW Session: ‘Running South America’ with Katherine Lowrie

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NOTICE: WEM20 has now moved over to the online arena becoming #VirtualWEM20 – a virtual conference to be held on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020. Immerse yourself in a WEM online environment where you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online). So, unfortunately whilst this particular session won’t be running, you can find our brand new #VirtualWEM20 programme including inspiring panel sessions and fascinating speakers here.

Book your place today!


“A feat of extraordinary courage and determination” – Sir Ranulph Fiennes

A real treat for #WEM20 will be to hear from nature conservation advisor, author and illustrator Katherine Lowrie, as she talks to us about her remarkable story of personal endurance. An expedition that saw her become the first, and only woman in the world to have run the entire length of South America (alongside her husband) all to raise money and awareness for conservation.

Combining their love of wildlife and wilderness their epic adventure saw them run the 6,504 mile length of South America unsupported, they travelled through Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Venezuela as they ran back-to-back marathons (they had run the equivalent of 250 marathons by the end of the expedition), day-after-day, for months on end. In constantly changing environments ranging from jungle, mountains and coasts, the couple ran from the freezing south to the tropical north, slept by the side of the road and pulled everything they needed to survive in a homemade bamboo and recycled bicycle trailer.

They took in awe-inspiring scenery, ran through the biggest rainforest on earth, came across a multitude of wildlife and were able to drop into local schools to talk to children about their journey and enjoy the generosity of the local people. They survived hurricane force winds, searing heat, near 100% humidity, swarms of biting insects and some of the most crime-ridden places on the planet.

Their plight even drew admiration from several celebrities and notable people, including HRH Prince Charles who said:

“I am hugely impressed that you are undertaking such a gruelling and challenging run for such a vitally important cause and I pray you will not have too many blisters, mosquito bites and other travel scars by the time you return from such an extraordinary marathon (…) I send you both my kindness good wishes and admiration”.

Hear Katherine’s remarkable story on Day 1 – Expedition and Wilderness Medicine of the 2020 World Extreme Medicine Conference.

The essentials:

Who: Katherine Lowrie
What: ‘Running South America’
When: Saturday 17th October 2020 @ 17.00
Where: Salisbury Suite

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Sophie Bostock, World Extreme Medicine Conference

#VirtualWEM20 Speaker: Sophie Bostock, a Sleep Evangelist on a mission

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NOTICE: WEM20 has now moved over to the online arena becoming #VirtualWEM20 – a virtual conference to be held on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020. Immerse yourself in a WEM online environment where you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online) over two action-packed days as you encounter the biggest and best extreme medicine content from over 40 speakers.

Book your place today!


An exciting and unique opportunity to hear from Sophie Bostock, a Sleep Evangelist on a mission who will be discussing the importance of regular sleep-wake patterns for health, performance and wellbeing as well as sharing strategies for anyone preparing to sleep in extreme environments.

We are delighted to welcome Sophie to our 9th annual Virtual World Extreme Medicine Conference this October. As a passionate advocate for the importance of sleep for health and wellbeing, she brings with her an enormous amount of knowledge and experience around the science of sleep and performance. Plus, Sophie will also be sharing her exciting challenge where she will be rowing 2,400 miles across the Pacific in 2021; to get up close and personal with sleep loss and circadian disruption and experiencing first-hand how athletes cope with extreme sleep deprivation in endurance sports.

As today’s frenetic 24/7 world becomes more challenging, psychological resilience is key and with science behind her Sophie argues that sleep holds the key. Sleep loss interferes with all of the critical components of resilience and problem solving, a key factor when dealing with medicine, especially in the extremes.

Sophie’s background is as a scientist and has always been intrigued by what makes us feel good and function. Following degrees in Medicine at Nottingham University and a MSc in Entrepreneurship, and several years consulting before developing an interest in healthcare innovation. Sophie completed a PhD in Psychobiology at University College London (UCL) investigating why happiness protects against heart disease, and how to improve wellbeing at work.

This work led to an interest in sleep and her research pointed to sleep being one of the unsung heroes of mental and physical resilience. It was at this point that Sophie spent the next 5 years first as a research scientist, then as UK Innovation Lead at Big Health, an award-winning digital medicine company, where in 2016 she was awarded an NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellowship for her work on ‘Sleepio’, an online sleep improvement programme that has been made available on the NHS to a fifth of the UK population.

A climbing accident caused by sleep deprivation in 2018 was the trigger for Sophie to become a full-time champion for the importance of sleep and launch www.TheSleepScientist.com. Sophie now works as an independent Sleep Evangelist and when she’s not providing keynote conference talks, TEDx talks, consulting and coaching you’ll find her rowing, climbing, swimming, windsurfing and following the sunshine around the world.

As an energising and inspiring speaker, we can’t wait to welcome Sophie to Day 1 of the conference for her talk about ‘Sleeping in the Extremes’. In this session, Sophie will share findings from 15+ interviews with elite endurance athletes and experienced ocean rowers, to explore preparation, and any physical and mental techniques they have used to improve resilience to sleep loss. This is the perfect session for anyone preparing to sleep in an extreme environment, or coping with circadian disruption, including shift workers.


Feeling ‘Inspired Beyond the Ordinary’?
Join us this year for one of the most energetic and unique networks in the universe and be part of the world’s greatest gathering of extreme medics and thought-leaders; dedicated to inspiring and sharing medical knowledge with you. Book your place today!

#BeExtreme

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World Extreme Medicine ‘Inspiration Beyond The Ordinary’ Conference 2020

What’s NEW: World Extreme Medicine ‘Inspiration Beyond The Ordinary’ Conference 2020

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NOTICE: WEM20 has now moved over to the online arena becoming #VirtualWEM20 – a virtual conference to be held on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020. Immerse yourself in a WEM online environment where you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online).

Book your place today!


And so, it begins… our world-renowned World Extreme Medicine Conference just got BIGGER and better!

Fresh voices, new workshops and pioneering research from across the extreme medicine world are gathering in one place for the 9th Annual World Extreme Medicine Conference. Which means we’ve got details, details and even more details.

While we don’t want to give too much away, here is a small taster of the most exciting things heading to #WEM20…

NEW Theme: Inspiration Beyond The Ordinary

This year our theme examines unearthing inspiration beyond the everyday encounters we face as medics and explorers. It’s a full-force celebration of what the mavericks of humankind are capable of when we erase traditional boundaries of medical knowledge and shatter constraints to reach the heart of extreme medicine – and you’re invited.

Mark Hannaford, Conference Founder said:

“The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Inspiration Beyond the Ordinary’. Working as a medic means you’ve already picked a career that is beyond the ordinary – the day to day life of a medical professional is filled with challenges far from what most people would consider ‘normal’. Life-altering injuries, births and deaths are witnessed regularly, sometimes within a single shift.

This has an enormous impact on the physical and mental health of you, as practitioners. Add in an ever-increasing workload and long hours, it’s hardly surprising that stress, burnout and frustration are all on the rise.

Which is why we’ve made ‘inspiration’ the focal point of this year’s WEM Conference. We’ve invited some of the most inspirational speakers from around the globe to share their experiences from the world of extreme medicine. Our timetable is packed with sessions that will point the way to pursuing your own medical adventures and open the door to exciting opportunities that will help you find your own inspiration. You’ll have handy tips to help you manage stress and look after your own mental wellbeing so that patient care, in turn, improves and ensure that above all, you leave inspired, beyond the ordinary.”

NEW Categories: to make planning easier

Following the successful introduction of categories across last year’s conference programme, we’ve brought them back for this year. You’ll see the categories listed across all three days, making it easier for you to plan your days around the speakers you want to hear from and the workshops you don’t want to miss out on. Download our #WEM20 app (watch this space – it’s coming soon) and you will find each category colour coded, so all you have to do is choose the categories you’re interested in, filter the results and track the relevant talks and workshops for the days you’re attending.

The #WEM20 categories are:

  • Medicine Beyond Earth – space, aeronautics and pure escapism.
  • Extreme Innovation – new technologies and ideas that transform and inspire.
  • Beyond the Battlefield – working in the ‘hot zone’, includes military and humanitarian deployments to areas of war and conflict.
  • Extreme Sports – supporting athletes and adventurers who are pushing the limits of human capability.
  • I’m a Casualty, get me out of here! – the art of rescue and evacuation from challenging environments, major incident planning and extended casualty care.
  • Extraordinary Resilience – self-care, psychology and mental health.
  • Extreme Evidence – cutting edge science and primary research.
  • Extreme Careers – inspiration, insights and actionable tips from medics who are on incredible life journeys.
  • Health and Climate Change – environmental and ecological impacts on health and how we should respond as a medical community.
  • Human Factors and Leadership – human performance within complex systems and dynamic environments and inspiring others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more.
NEW Guest Speakers: these are just the tip of the iceberg

We are delighted to have some of the world’s most remarkable medics, world-leading adventurers and internationally acclaimed explorers as part of our guest speaker line up this year.

They will inspire and encourage you with their own personal stories and experiences and share new innovations, expertise and wisdom in medicine conducted in challenging and often harsh and dangerous environments.

Guest speakers to look out for include:

Jennifer Ngo-Anh, SciSpace Team Leader – European Space Agency (ESA)
Jennifer coordinates ESA’s ground-based and space-based (e.g. International Space Station) activities in the areas of human research, biology and physical sciences.
Speaking on Day 1

Andy Elwood, Men’s Mental Health Specialist
Campaigner, speaker and Mental Health First Aid instructor, Andy is candid about his own struggles and believes that mental health deserves parity with physical health.
Speaking on Day 2

Vik Mohan, GP
Architect of the award-winning Population, Health and Environment (PHE) programme, Dr Mohan is a champion of biodiversity conservation and global social justice.
Speaking on Day 2

Sophie Bostock, Sleep Evangelist
A champion of sleep, Sophie is on a mission to help millions of people to lead healthier and more productive lives by unlocking the science of sleep and performance.
Speaking on Day 3

Stephen Fabes, Doctor, Presenter & Author
Over 6 years, Stephen crossed 75 countries and pedalled a distance equivalent to over twice around the equator, while exploring the social, historical and political backdrop to health.
Speaking on Day 1

Not to mention some of our favourite speakers and good friends returning to the stage including Salehya Ahsan, Mike Barrett, Burjor Langdana, Kate Baecher, Mike Smith and Karen O’Neil.

NEW Workshops

Across all 3 days we have an array of practical sessions, hands-on workshops and panel discussions that reflect the theme for that day. Learn from our hand-picked experts who will be showcasing and teaching you the essential skills required when in extreme and under-resourced conditions.

Our workshop booking system will go on sale and be available to book from 21st September and remain open until 9th October, meaning you will have more time to research and plan your visit via the #WEM20 app and website. For anyone who misses the booking window we will be setting aside a limited number of spaces for each workshop which will be available on the day on a first come, first served basis.

Workshop highlights include:

  • Running South America – Day 1
    ‘A feat of extraordinary courage and determination’ ~ Sir Ranulph Fiennes
    An extraordinary and gruelling tale of survival through hurricane-force winds, searing heat, near 100% humidity, swarms of biting insects and some of the most crime-ridden places on the planet.
  • Filtering the Noise – Rapid Decision Making – Day 3
    Take part in an immersive experience focused on dealing with simple tasks in a simulated confined space, while under distraction.
  • Rapid Recovery, Resource Building and Personal Resilience – Day 3
    Learn to relax and unwind anywhere (even a noisy helicopter or bumpy transporter) and at any time, for rapid destress and recharge.
  • How to get your First Job as a Humanitarian Medic – Day 2
    How do you prepare for it?  What courses are relevant? How do you make it a career, or juggle with a full-time job? Find out from the experts.
What can you expect across the 3 days?

We have a jam-packed schedule of events bringing you the very best practical training, motivating insights and innovation, plus of course, the most amazing networking opportunities, where else in the world will you have the opportunity to speak with a NASA astronaut one minute and then meet a world record holder and leading explorer the next?

Day 1: Expedition and Wilderness Medicine
Bringing you the very best of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine, from the most remote regions of Antarctica to the depths of space.

Day 2: Disaster and Humanitarian Medicine
The day focuses on Humanitarian and Disaster medicine, equipping you with the skills you need in order to deliver medical care where it’s needed most.

Day 3: Extreme Pre-Hospital Care & Retrieval Medicine
Learn about pre-hospital care at its most extreme, as we explore how emergency medicine and prolonged care is delivered in the most remote environments

Our World Extreme Medicine Conference comes highly recommended from past delegates:

”I can say, without hesitation, that the WEM19 programme content was by far the most interesting of all conferences I have experienced.  I felt both humbled and inspired by the sessions I attended and have come away with ideas racing around my mind.”

Gp Capt Di Lamb PhD | Defence Professor of Nursing | Research & Clinical Innovation | Royal Centre for Defence Medicine | Joint Medical Command

 

 

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Antibiotic Resistance

#WEM19: Antibiotic Resistance – a threat on a par with Climate Change

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Latest research regarding antibiotic resistance was revealed at the 2019 World Extreme Medicine Conference (#WEM19) that took place in Edinburgh, as well as discussions on a few of the issues surrounding this current threat, such as over prescribing, lack of regulation and illicit OTC sales.

The World Bank estimates that between 1.1% and 3.8% of global GDP could be lost due to antibiotic resistance, known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the ability of a microorganism to stop an antimicrobial from working against it if left unchecked – roughly the same as the global economic impact of climate change.

At #WEM19, leaders in this field, Dr’s. Aula Abbara, Consultant in Infectious Diseases, and Esmita Charani, Senior Lead Pharmacist, both of Imperial College London, talked about AMR, the threat it poses all of us, and how it particularly affects populations in conflict zones, refugees and lower income countries. The World Bank projects that 24 million people could fall into extreme poverty by 2050 because of antimicrobial resistance, most of these people would come from low and middle-income countries.

AMR is a particular worry in war zones with over-prescribing amongst doctors driven by patient expectations and little regulation in the distribution and OTC sale of antibiotics. As an example; several hundred households in Syria were sampled randomly and 85% of responders reported using antimicrobials in the preceding 4 weeks, with only 43% of these courses being prescribed by a healthcare professional.

During their informative session on Day 2 of the conference (Disaster and Humanitarian Medicine), Aula and Esmita focused on how medics working in humanitarian settings will encounter this problem and what they can do to treat and mitigate it.

In particular they spoke about “antibiotic stewardship” – what doctors and patients anywhere in the world can do to ensure antibiotics are used sensibly – so we have them available to us as a therapeutic option for as long as possible. They also discussed how antibiotics are currently being used in hospitals and how poor communication between medical teams often results in antibiotic misuse, which will ultimately have an effect on all of us.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, the outgoing chief medical officer and the UK’s first Special Envoy on AMR has highlighted it as a ‘catastrophic threat’ which is on par with Climate Change – but the problem has not yet been met with the same levels of interest or activism.

Aula and Esmita commented:

“It’s a sad fact of life that Antibiotic Resistance is just not visual enough to grab the headlines. Conflict destroys health systems and it’s all too easy for a local medic to give an antibiotic when the patient asks for it. That’s also increasingly true in many western health systems.

The scale of the problem cannot be exaggerated – and we need to do something to address it fast.”


Join us this year where for the first time in WEM history, we’re hosting #VirtualWEM20 a virtual conference on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020 – so you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online). Book your place today!

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How the World Extreme Medicine Conference can help further your medical career

Conference founder Mark Hannaford on why #WEM20 is so important and how it can help further your medical career

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This is the 9th year we have held an annual World Extreme Medicine Conference, although this year we’ve now moved over to the online arena becoming #VirtualWEM20 – a virtual conference to be held on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020 where you can immerse yourself in a WEM online environment and be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online) over two action-packed days as you encounter the biggest and best extreme medicine content from over 40 speakers.

Now, more than ever before, medical professionals are being asked to deliver high quality medicine in the world’s most remote areas; supporting expeditions, adventure holidays, responding to sudden onset disasters or being deployed on humanitarian missions.

Over the 2-day online conference, we will cover everything from pre-hospital, to expedition and military medicine, as well as humanitarian healthcare in crisis situations.

Doctors and medics who decide to work in extreme medicine will have a rewarding and dynamic career that offers plenty of diversity and challenges along the way, but it can be incredibly tough at times and individuals need to ensure they are suited to the job. You need to be able to cope with long deployments far away from home and work in situations that may expose you to things that shock you or even threaten your safety.

The aftermath of a deployment, particularly in a crisis zone, can also be difficult to navigate. It is quite common to get post-expedition blues, and medics can suffer from PTSD just like combat soldiers. For disaster medicine, you need huge adaptability and ability to respond quickly. One of the benefits of the conference is that organisations such as Medicins San Frontieres and the International Red Cross come and explain what it is they do, with feedback from medics who have already volunteered. This will cement some people’s determination to sign up, but others can see that it isn’t for them.

The military has driven many of the advances in trauma medicine which are saving lives in NHS hospitals and at road traffic accidents in the UK right now. Defence Medical Services are one of our partners and they will be on hand to talk about opportunities within the service for medics who wish to follow a military pathway.

Raleigh International is another partner organisation that needs the services of well-trained medics. They take young people on expeditions to build their confidence and increase their opportunities and they have a very well established medical system.

You don’t need to be a trauma consultant or a medical doctor to get involved. There is a great need for healthcare workers who have the skills to give ongoing treatment to people who may be swept up in a crisis situation. People in the Bahamas may be coping with the aftermath of a devastating storm, but they still need physiotherapy, maternity nurses, psychological assistance and paramedics to attend emergencies.

If you have a calling, there’s a place for you!


Are you ready to be ‘Inspired Beyond The Ordinary’?

Book your tickets today and take the first steps on the road to an amazing career in extreme medicine.


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#WEM20 Workshop Announcement: Burjor Langdana and Expedition Dentistry

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NOTICE: WEM20 has now moved over to the online arena becoming #VirtualWEM20 – a virtual conference to be held on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020. Immerse yourself in a WEM online environment where you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online). So, unfortunately whilst this particular workshop won’t be running, you can find our brand new #VirtualWEM20 programme including inspiring panel sessions and fascinating speakers here.

Book your place today!

 

“Dentistry in the wilderness, inspiring!”

– WEM19 attendee

We are super lucky to have a tonne of fantastic faculty who teach on our courses all around the globe, but our favourite time of year is when they descend on Edinburgh and provide some world-class teaching for our delegates – and there is no dentist we look forward to seeing more than Burjor Langdana!

Burj has worked all over the world, having served as a consultant dentist at the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit, a VSO dentist in Malawi and as part of the Mobile Surgical Services in New Zealand.

He’ll be teaching each day, running a couple of his hugely popular ‘Expedition Dentistry’ workshops that allow participants to learn the basics of what Burj calls the ‘dark art’ of providing dental care in remote environments, as well as an immersive lecture on how to tackle facial trauma whilst on expedition – these sessions are not to be missed!

The essentials: 

Who: Burjor Langdana
What: Expedition Dentistry (Day 1 and 2) and Facial Injury on Expedition! Dislocated Jaw Joint! What Do I Do? (Day 3)
When: Day 1 (Saturday 17th), Day 2 (Sunday 18th) and Day 3 (Monday 19th)
Where: Boardroom (Day 1 and 2) and Salisbury Suite (Day 3)

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Edinburgh, Scotland

5 interesting things to see and do in Edinburgh while at the WEM Conference

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NOTICE: WEM20 has now moved over to the online arena becoming #VirtualWEM20 – a virtual conference to be held on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2020. Immerse yourself in a WEM online environment where you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online). So, unfortunately whilst this particular workshop won’t be running, you can find our brand new #VirtualWEM20 programme including inspiring panel sessions and fascinating speakers here.

Book your place today!


With a dramatically beautiful Old Town, a dynamic and stunning modern New Town and historic details, monument and famous landmarks around every corner, Edinburgh is the perfect city to host our annual World Extreme Medicine Conference. Known for its innovation, discovery and progress particularly concerning medicine, Scotland’s capital city provides an abundance of activities for you to participate in and interesting places to visit and enjoy as part of your stay.

Here are a few of our recommendations for things to see and do while staying in Edinburgh:

Surgeons’ Hall Museums
A must see for any medical maverick, is a trip to the award-winning Surgeons’ Hall Museum – home to one of the largest and most historic collections of surgical pathology in the United Kingdom. Owned and founded by The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and initially established as a medical teaching resource, the Museums consist of the Wohl Pathology Museum, the History of Surgery Museum and The Dental Collection and have long since held fascinating and extensive collections of pathology, anatomy and medical ephemera. Following a major £4.4 million Heritage Lottery Funded redevelopment project, the Museums reopened in 2015 and created a new space to share the historical journey of surgery and its advances.

Mary Kings Close
Journey back in time and explore the 17th-century warren of streets hidden underneath the famous ‘Royal Mile’ that was once a breeding ground for the black death. Experience over 400 years of history, capture a unique glimpse into Edinburgh’s past and unlock the secrets of this glorious city. Wander through a labyrinth of Old Town alleyways, Explore the rooms, meet the residents and discover untold tales on this one-hour guided tour.

National Museum of Scotland
Enjoy walking around the National Museum of Scotland and taking in an eclectic collection of extraordinary treasures from around the world relating to nature, art, science and technology. Uncover the darker side of Scottish History with tales of the infamous ‘body snatchers’ William Burke and William Hare and see for yourself the tiny, four-inch-long effigies of the victims of Edinburgh’s famous anatomy murders. The taxidermy remains of ‘Dolly’, a scientific marvel and the first mammal ever cloned from an adult cell can also be found in the science and technology gallery here at the museum.

Arthur’s Seat and Holyrood Park walk
Take a couple of hours out of your day, stretch your legs and experience a proper hill walk in the heart of Edinburgh city. Start by walking to Arthur’s Seat, the highest of a group of hills that were formed from the remains of a volcano and that make up Holyrood Park. Once you reach the summit (some 251 metres high and surprisingly rocky) enjoy fabulous views across the city and beyond. Carry on walking behind the crags until you reach the top of Salisbury Crag where you will be able to look down over Holyrood Palace, the Scottish Parliament and the white roof of Dynamic Earth (home to #WEM18).

Edinburgh Castle
Dominating the skyline of the city of Edinburgh from its position on Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle is a world-famous icon and one of the most exciting historic sites in Western Europe. Rich with history and with scenery that will take your breath away, a visit to this iconic castle is a must. Explore the various attractions with a guided tour or discover the castle and its people at your own pace with an audio tour. Walk through The Great Hall, witness the firing of the One o’clock Gun, a much-loved Edinburgh tradition or seek out the Crown Jewels in the ‘Crown Room’.

We’d love to hear what you’ve got planned or get up to during your visit to our World Extreme Medicine Conference and what discoveries you’ve made during your explorations of this glorious city. Share your photos with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #WEM20 or download our app and let other delegates know the best places to visit.

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