Hello! My name it Margrete Byrom. I am a rising senior at Telluride High School and am a medical intern. Prior to COVID-19, I planned on visiting Dr. Bryan Kaiser in San Antonio for three weeks. Dr. Kaiser is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knee and hip replacements. While in San Antonio, I intended to follow Dr. Kaiser for a week, focus on athletic injuries for the second week, and end by following a surgical specialty of my choice.
Because all of the medical interns had their internships canceled or delayed, we were given the opportunity to get our Wilderness First Responder certification through Pinhead. This class is something I will never forget. We learned about everything from cardiogenic shock to the best methods for creating a litter. Additionally, this class provided the opportunity to meet the other medical interns from surrounding towns. Due to current regulations, we were able to take the class outside. Prior to the class, we were assigned a textbook to read along with several quizzes and videos. I felt that reading the book before hand really helped me understand what was going on in the class.
At the beginning of the week, we started with some basic anatomy and physiology. As the week progressed, we got more and more hands-on time. We worked a lot with partners to learn how to take vitals, clean and dress wounds, and make splints for broken bones. We learned how to take care of patients and what to do in emergency situations. Also, we were able to get CPR certified through the WFR course. By the end of the week we knew the full list of steps to go though when encountering an injured or sick patient while hiking, biking, swimming, rafting, climbing, and anything in between. We even learned how to administer shots, use oxygen tanks, and use a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer to take blood pressure.
Additionally, our incredible instructors incorporated fun games and contests into the curriculum. One of the contests was a race. We separated into two teams and were tasked with making a litter to carry a classmate. We had to carry the “patient” around an obstacle and beat the other team back to the start. Another game we played was using splints and bandages. The goal was to get as many splints and bandages on the patient as possible in 7 minutes without talking. It sure was fun!
Me covered in splints and bandages
Overall, this WFR class was very interesting and I am so thankful I was able to have the opportunity to meet other interns with my same interest in medicine. This class really created a bridge between my love for medicine and my love for the wilderness. Now I feel much more confident when venturing into the outdoors with my friends, knowing that I have the knowledge and supplies to help if a sticky situation should arise.
There are no comments published yet.