The International Master Course
in Mountain Emergency Medicine

The International Master Course in Mountain Emergency Medicine born from a joint project of the University of Insubria and the University of Milan-Bicocca in agreement with EURAC-Bolzano and with the collaboration of the most important universities, and private/public health organizations, active in the field of mountain and emergency medicine.
This course is certified by the International Mountain Medicine Societies (UIAA Medcom, CISA – Ikar and ISMM – International Society Mountain Medicine) for the theoretical-practical didactic characteristics, acquired in the two-years educational path. It is guarantees a complete preparation to face health emergency situations during mountaineering practice, or in catastrophic events in every part of the world.
The Master born as a University of Insubria project, shared with the Italian Auxological Institute (IRCCS) and the University of Milan-Bicocca, which will perform complete academic educational path with excellent professionalism, and will guarantee a widespread media diffusion in the national and international university and intra-extra hospital field.
Collaborations with AREU Lombardy-Teaching Center, and with the University of New Mexico and Denali Park in Alaska, represent a prestigious worldwide acknowledgment of the course.

The aim of the Master is to train extra-hospital emergency-urgency doctors and paramedics who will be acquiring the highest level of theoretical and practical knowledge in mountain emergency medicine, guaranteed by the professionalism and competence of international teachers. The students know how to move and how to operate at best in difficult conditions, not only in the impervious and mountainous environment but also in situations of danger derived from extreme sports practice. Moreover, with the frequent catastrophic environmental events happened in the last years, events that will most likely happen again in the future, a professionally dedicated rescue team, able to operate in stressful condition and in unusual contexts, considering also the possible involvement of numerous victims, is needed.
The Master is addressed to doctors and paramedics already active in the field of intra-extra hospital emergency-urgency, in good physical condition.
They will reach a very high specialization in the conventional terrestrial rescue and in helicopter rescue, able to guarantee the best treatment of traumatized patients, in extreme mountains conditions.

Dr. Luigi Festi

The International Master Course
in Mountain Emergency Medicine

The International Master Course in Mountain Emergency Medicine born from a joint project of the University of Insubria and the University of Milan-Bicocca in agreement with EURAC-Bolzano and with the collaboration of the most important universities, and private/public health organizations, active in the field of mountain and emergency medicine.
This course is certified by the International Mountain Medicine Societies (UIAA Medcom, CISA – Ikar and ISMM – International Society Mountain Medicine) for the theoretical-practical didactic characteristics, acquired in the two-years educational path. It is guarantees a complete preparation to face health emergency situations during mountaineering practice, or in catastrophic events in every part of the world.
The Master born as a University of Insubria project, shared with the Italian Auxological Institute (IRCCS) and the University of Milan-Bicocca, which will perform complete academic educational path with excellent professionalism, and will guarantee a widespread media diffusion in the national and international university and intra-extra hospital field.
Collaborations with AREU Lombardy-Teaching Center, and with the University of New Mexico and Denali Park in Alaska, represent a prestigious worldwide acknowledgment of the course.

The aim of the Master is to train extra-hospital emergency-urgency doctors and paramedics who will be acquiring the highest level of theoretical and practical knowledge in mountain emergency medicine, guaranteed by the professionalism and competence of international teachers. The students know how to move and how to operate at best in difficult conditions, not only in the impervious and mountainous environment but also in situations of danger derived from extreme sports practice. Moreover, with the frequent catastrophic environmental events happened in the last years, events that will most likely happen again in the future, a professionally dedicated rescue team, able to operate in stressful condition and in unusual contexts, considering also the possible involvement of numerous victims, is needed.
The Master is addressed to doctors and paramedics already active in the field of intra-extra hospital emergency-urgency, in good physical condition.
They will reach a very high specialization in the conventional terrestrial rescue and in helicopter rescue, able to guarantee the best treatment of traumatized patients, in extreme mountains conditions.

Dr. Luigi Festi

CALENDAR LESSONS

some dates will be decided by May 2022

In a few days will be released the Master’s Application Notice on the University of Insubria website.
Thi is the Master’s 2022-2023 draft program with the dates and locations of the lessons.

2022 

EURAC -Bolzano
Seminar 3, NOI Techpark, main building (A1), Via A. Volta 13/A, Bolzano

9.00 – 9.45 Physiological requirements for mountain rescue activities
Gatterer H.

9.45 – 10.30 Effects of acute exposure to altitude in HEMS crew – implication for SAR operations
Falla M./van Veelen M.

10.30 – 11.00 Break

11.00 – 12.30 Epidemiology and pathophysiology of hypothermia
On site diagnosis and treatment of hypothermia
Brugger H.

12.30 – 14.00 Lunch break

14.00 – 15.30 Epidemiology and pathophysiology of avalanche accidents
On site diagnosis and treatment of avalanche accidents
Strapazzon G.

15.30 – 16.00 Break

16.00 – 17:30 The limits of Human Hypoxia: into the death zone on Everest
Hackett P.

terraXcube/1st floor, NOI Techpark, D1 building, Via Ipazia 2, Bolzano

09.00 – 10.30 Multiple trauma management in mountain rescue
Sumann G.

10.30 – 11.00 Break

11.00 – 11.30 Inauguration ceremony

11.45 – 12.30 Medical challenges in hoist and longline operations in mountain HEMS
Rauch S.

12.30 – 14.00 Lunch break

14.00 – 14.45 Pre-acclimatization in real and simulated altitude – focus on published data
Faulhaber M.

14.45 – 16.15 Risk-management and limits in MR: risks for rescuers and patients: impact of organization and human factors. personal experience and case reports
Elsensohn F.

Alagna Valsesia
Capanna Margherita:
Alpinism Base Skills, Movement on Glaciers, Climbing Base Skills

Zermatt
Val Leventina: Air Zermatt Course:
Summer part

Milano
Waiting Milano – Cortina 2026
Olympic Winter Games, Mountain
Emergency Medicine Congress

Milano
Bicocca University: Lessons

2023

Grenoble University, Alpe D’Huez – Courmayeur
Fondazione Montagna Sicura:
Lessons and Ice Climbing Base Skills

Bad Toelz-Zermatt:
HEMS similation and Air Zermatt Winter part

Anchorage – Denali Camp Base

Valais GRIMM:
Training part

Albuquerque – Grand Canyon – Uni.New Mexico:
Lessons and Training part

Varese/Milano
Diploma session

*Dates to be decided

September 2023 (facultative and to be confirmed) Master Peak in Caucaso (Cost about € 4000 each)

MODULES OF THE MASTER PROGRAM

Notice: modules 4 and 7 are dedicated to MMEM

Module 1

Basis, Diagnosis,
Treatment of Altitude Sickness 

  • Altitude Sickness

  • Children and the mountain

  • High altitude training

  • The medical practice of mountain

  • The elderly and the mountain

  • Cardiopathic patients and mountaineering

  • Pulmonary failure and mountaineering

  • Neurological disease and the mountain

  • The woman and the mountain

Module 2

Hypothermia/
Hyperthermia:
Diagnosis and Treatment

  • Hypothermia

  • Frosbite

  • Sunstroke, heatstroke

  • Notions on personal tecnical

  • Equipment and apparel

  • Driving medicine

Module 3

Trauma in Mountaineering:
Diagnosis and Treatment 

  • Analgesia on the field

  • Abdominal traumatology

  • Thoracic traumatology

  • Orthopedic trauma

  • Basic radiology

  • Interventional radiology

  • Vascular trauma

  • Neurosurgical trauma

  • Maxillofacial trauma in mountaineering

  • Emergencies odonto-stomatology

  • Tracheostomy

  • Shock

  • Sepsis: diagnosis and treatment

Module 4

Emergency Rescue in Mountaineering 

  • Avalanche

  • Electrocution, lightning

  • Mountain rescue techniques

  • Helicopter rescue techniques

  • Notions on personal equipment

  • Stress management in mountaineering

  • Organized rescue on the mountain

  • The intensive care unit and apine trauma

  • Alpine trauma and rescue service

  • Helicopter Rescue Team (℅ Air Zermatt, REGA)

Module 5

The Doctor and the Mountain

  • Decompress sickness

  • Survival and navigation techniques

  • Nutrition in mountaineering

  • Travel medicine

  • The doctor on expedition

  • Medical legal aspects in mountaineering

  • Juridical aspects

  • International mountaineering organization

  • Medical communication

  • Geological characteristics and rescue techniques

  • Clinical governance and risk management

  • Meteorology and mountain

  • Doping in mountaineering

  • Historical and cultural aspects of mountaineering

Module 6

The Doctor and Alpine Medical Practice

  • Introduction

  • Mountaineering techniques and basics of of skimountaineering

  • Basics of climbing techniques

  • Mountain rescue techniques

Module 7

Emergency medicine Winter Program

  • Basics on survival techniques, protection of the patient against further harm, self protection, bivouac…

  • Glacier travel, belaying in ice and snow, ice climbing, crevasse accident, improvised crevasse rescue

  • Organized crevasse rescue, tri- and bipod, crevasse container, ice hammer

  • Comrade aid and organized rescue in avalanche accidents, transceiver search, helicopter search, Recco, shoveling probing, ABS-Pack and other systems against burial, medical aspects of avalanche accidents, prognosis in avalanche victims

  • Working with the helicopter in winter conditions

Management of a mountain casualties, during winter season. In cold and snow conditions.

Grenoble

Grenoble

Technical and medical skills to acquire:

  • Basic ice climbing skills,

    How to deal with evolution on winter environment (snow and ice),

  • How to use technical rescue devices dedicated for winter rescue

    – Mountain rescue simulations based on real cases,

  • Theoretical Knowledge on avalanche, hypothermia, frostbites.

  • How to deal with a polytrauma in winter

  • Medical management of an avalanche victim, an hypothermia victim

  • Patient orientation: trauma system, trauma network

Module 7

Emergency medicine Summer Program

  • Patient bag, vacuum mattress, stretcher, horizontal net

  • Training on improvised rescue techniques

  • Rescue on via ferrata

  • Suspension trauma, rescue in lights sports

  • Basics of caving and cave rescue

  • Basics of canyoneering and canyoneering rescue

  • General medical circumstancies in canyoneering, … injury treatment in canyoneering

  • Working with helicopters … hovering … introduction to HEC (human external cargo), … procedures on longline, load transfer system

  • Descend into Grand Canyon to Bright Angel lodge. Medical rescue scenarios, overview of point of care testing, iSTAT fluid replacement, field blood products, tranexamic acid

  • Summer mountaineering techniques. Terrestrial rope rescue

Denali Park – Alaska

Denali Park – Alaska

1 Kahiltna

Utilize the Kahiltna Base camp area. Likely setting up camp a bit up glacier from the main camp.

Demonstrate / instruct the points of camp set up on a glacier (crevasse probing, safe tent sites, hygiene, cooking, etc)

  • incorporate day trips up glacier – this will necessitate prior exposure to roped travel

  • incorporate lectures / education sessions pertinent to the area, including a review of altitude, frostbite, trauma care, evacuation standards, long term care (hygiene, nutrition)

Ready to get started?

Find out how to sign up
Enroll