Pre-hospital care--the evolution of a course for undergraduates

Resuscitation. 2002 Feb;52(2):187-91. doi: 10.1016/s0300-9572(01)00460-9.

Abstract

Newly qualified doctors are ill equipped to deal with pre-hospital trauma emergencies. There is a public perception that medical education provides both experience and knowledge in this field. In Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK), committed doctors and nurses trained in pre-hospital care have evolved a specific course designed to equip the medical undergraduate to deal with pre-hospital trauma scenario. The pre-hospital trauma course for medical students has run annually from 1993 to 2000. The course caters for 200 students with a faculty of 30 instructors. Successful completion of the course which is rigorously assessed grants a certificate awarded by the Faculty of Pre-hospital Care at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Most importantly it equips the undergraduate with essential theoretical knowledge and practical skills to handle a pre-hospital trauma emergency.

MeSH terms

  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / education
  • Curriculum
  • Education, Medical, Undergraduate*
  • Emergency Medical Services*
  • Humans
  • United Kingdom
  • Wounds and Injuries*