The Wilderness Medic Podcast

Welcome back to the Wilderness Medic Podcast- after some time away it is great to be back talking to exciting people from the world of expedition medicine, adventure and travel. Opening season 4 is a super interesting chat with James Dyer. James and I were in Zambia together a few years ago and during this episode we discuss his journey, expedition skills and what expedition leaders look for in medics- essential listening! Note to listeners: this podcast was recorded in March 2025

In this episode I am joined by Dr Simon Latham, direct from his clinic on board one of the Mercy Ships boats which is docked in Freetown Sierra Leone. We discuss how he has carved this unique career path and how Mercy Ships work collaboratively with local governments to provide life changing surgery and sustainable healthcare outcomes. Find out more: www.mercyships.org.uk

In today's episode I am joined by Donna Finnis, an expedition medic with a passion for adventure and medical care provision in remote and challenging environments. She has supported expeditions from the dizzy heights of Kilimanjaro, to the frozen northwest of Mongolia, which is what we are discussing today! When she’s not out on expedition, Donna can be found working frontline as a paramedic, teaching medicine in remote environments, volunteering her time as a coastguard.

Season 3 Episode 7: David Tamale-Sali Medic SOS and Shame in Medicine In this episode I am joined by David Tamale-Sali where we discuss shame within medicine and how this lead him to develop his Medic SOS project. In the spring of 2003, David found himself kicked out of Medical School at the start of resitting his third year. He spent the next two decades off the beaten path, working in various jobs and even returned to medical school, but he kept encountering distressed and frustrated Medics from around the world . After encouraging a Doctor in distress on Facebook, he felt inspired to put together a book that gathers encouragement, insights, and strategies for overcoming burnout from over 100 doctors, to raise money for: Doctors in Distress, You Okay Doc? The Lorna Breen Foundation, Physicians Anonymous and Practitioner Health. Medic SOS E-book https://www.okaydoctor.net/

In this latest episode I am joined by Dr Sophie Redlin who is a GP, expedition doctor and anthropologist. We explore the topic of moral injury and discuss the moral injury partnership that she has co-founded. Find out more: https://www.churchillfellowship.org/news-views/blogs/moral-injury-and-the-current-crisis-in-healthcare/

Incivility has been shown to reduce team functioning, clinical decision making and patient outcomes. In this latest episode I am joined by Dr Chris Turner, an emergency medicine consultant, and the founder of "Civility Saves Lives," to discuss the importance of civility and how this can help us be better clinicians, leaders and people, whether in the hospital, community or whilst out on an expedition. Links from this episode www.civilitysaveslives.com www.learningfromexcellence.com

Season 3: Episode 4 Jacob Val Myers: Youngest to the Pole Project In this latest episode, I chat with Jacob "Val" Myers, an outdoor professional from Appalachia who is attempting to be the youngest person in human history to ski solo and unsupported to the Geographic South Pole! We met out in the Canadian Yukon, whilst he was participating in the Montane Yukon Artic Ultra race, and we chat about this and some of his other adventures, as well as how to prepare for an unsupported trek to the South Pole. You do not want to miss this one... https://www.valhallahikes.com/ @youngesttopoleproject

In today's episode I am joined by Dr Matt Lee, the head of sustainability for the Doctors Association UK. We chat about the climate crisis- investigating what exactly this means, why we should be worried but not "doomists" and what we can do to help make positive change. Listen to find out more... Sign the letter to Steve Barclay: ⁠https://www.zerohour.uk/health-letter/⁠ Links from the episode How green is your bank: https://bank.green/ Doctors Association UK: https://www.dauk.org/

Season 3 Episode 2: Kevin Grange- Managing a Mass Casualty Incident in the Wilderness In today's episode Kevin Grange returns to the podcast to discuss the management of MCI's in the wilderness, using a case study he was involved with, in which multiple hot air balloons crashed in the national park where he works. We also discuss some of the latest literature on defining and managing MCI's and explore the importance of training and debriefing. Links for this episode: Evidence-based principles of time, triage and treatment: Refining the initial medical response to massive casualty incidents https://www.kevingrange.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kevin.m.grange/

Join me as I chat to Luke Stevens, a Specialist Neuro and Critical Care Physiotherapist working in the Northeast of England, to find out how he has developed a career in global health. Find out about his work out in Gaza, his role with the Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare and how you can follow in his footsteps! Some of the links from this episode: Twitter @LukeStevens_93 Insta @justpassingthrough_93 Adapt: Physiotherapists for Global Health Adapt twitter: @ADAPT_CSP Faculty of Remote and Rural Healthcare: Introduction to Humanitarian Healthcare Online Course

In this latest episode I am joined by Dr Matt Creed, a Consultant in Anaesthetics, Major Trauma and Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine based in Cardiff. Matt has been active in pre-hospital care for over a decade, having worked with a number of different services in both England and Wales. In this episode we discuss how to get involved in pre-hospital care, the history of the BASICS scheme and some of the latest PHEM research, exploring how it can be applied in wilderness and austere settings. Links from the episode: https://www.basics.org.uk/ https://www.medservewales.org/ Diploma in Immediate Care References:

In Episode 8, I am joined by Dr Christy Hehir, an environmental psychologist, conservationist, polar alien hunter and lecturer within the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. We discuss the delicate balance between tourism, our psychology and the environment, which could not be more relevant given the climate emergency that we face currently. Christy is one of a few polar tourism researchers with experience at both poles having travelled to Antarctica with Students on Ice and subsequently to Svalbard on an expedition by the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). Listen to find out more...

In this latest episode I am joined by Negussie Beyene from the charity APOPO, which trains rats and dogs to detect TB, landmines and more. We discuss some of the initiatives that APOPO have started and I learn what a Giant Pouched Rat's favourite treat is (Spoiler alert- it is not cheese!) Around 60 countries are still contaminated with hidden landmines and other explosive remnants of war, that cause tragic accidents and hamper communities from developing their productive land. Meanwhile, slow and inaccurate detection methods make tuberculosis the world’s most deadly infectious disease. 10 million new people contract TB every year, 3 million go undiagnosed, and 1.8 million die from the disease. APOPO show us how we can work together with animals to find novel solutions that can help address these issues... Links: https://www.apopo.org/

Join me as I chat to Dr Klara Weaver, who is the overwintering Doctor for Winter 2021 at Rothera Research base. She will spend a total of 18 months down south supporting field science and logistics for the British Antarctic Survey! We discuss what her role involves, how she prepared for it and her advice on how to get involved... Prior to her time in Antarctica, Klara is a keen mountaineer, having bagged first ascents in Kyrgyzstan and time at altitude across Europe. She has also undertaken medical expeditions to Panama, Nepal and spent time with the search and rescue teams in Iceland. In her spare time she prefers to be in the mountains, but has also recently taken up crochet… Instagram: @drweaverexplores

In Episode 5 I chat with Kevin Grange a paramedic and firefighter, who has worked in Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks, and is now based in Wyoming. We discuss his role, experiences and journey as well as his awesome book "Wild Rescues" which you can purchase through the links below. Links from this Episode Find out more and order "Wild Rescues" from www.kevingrange.com or from Amazon Find out more about the WEM Expo 2021 that we discussed on this episode: click here

Join me as I chat with Dr Marcus Stevens, a GP trainee in Bath, about some of his most exciting trips so far in his career. Marcus has spent time providing medical care to communities in the Simien Mountains, worked as a doctor in the gold mines of Mali with Critical Care International, and incredibly ended up as the medic at the world's highest dinner party at 7050m above sea level. Listen to find out more.... Links from this Episode: Simien Mountains Mobile Medical Service Critical Care International Majesty and Misery: Dinner on the North Col

Season 2 Episode 3: Mountain Rescue with Jamie Pattison In today's episode I talk to Jamie Pattison, the deputy leader and medical officer of Northumberland Mountain Rescue Team, about his experiences and what drew him to start volunteering with mountain rescue over 10 years ago. We also discuss his work as a paramedic, the challenges that COVID has posed for mountain rescue, and reflect on the importance of psychological resilience when working in austere environments. Listen to find out more... You can follow Jamie or get in touch via his instagram @jcxplore or twitter @jcxplore Click here to find out more about getting involved with Mountain Rescue and here to discover World Extreme Medicine's expedition medicine courses that we both teach on.

In this latest episode I am joined by Dr Shawna Pandya, physician, astronaut-candidate and aquanaut, to talk about space medicine, the recent mars landing, the future of commercial space flight and much more... Find out more about what Dr Pandya gets up to by following her on social media: @shawnapandya (Instagram and Twitter) or visit shawnapandya.com Some links from the episode: Space Medicine GroupProject PoSSUMInternational Astronautical CongressAerospace Medicine AssociationAssociation of Spaceflight Professionals Some Papers for those who want to know more: Space Medicine in the Era of Civilian SpaceflightRed Risks for a Journey to the Red PlanetAn Overview of Space Medicine

Episode 1: Dive Medicine with Dr Megan Evans Welcome to Season 2: in this first episode I am joined by Dr Megan Evans to discuss her work with the DDRC as a dive medic. We discuss common diving-related medical conditions, what you need to know as an expedition medic working on a diving trip, and the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat disease... Here are some links to the courses discussed in the episode: DDRC Course RCS Edinburgh Modules If you have enjoyed this episode- please subscribe for more content or check out the previous 10 episodes in season 1!

Episode 10: OneMedicine in 2020 with the Humanimal Trust Join me as I talk to Dr Ben Marshall and Professor Roberto La Ragione about the importance of OneMedicine in 2020! We talk COVID-19 and zoonotic diseases, the growing threat of antibiotic resistance and how human and animal medicine can collaborate moving into a new decade of scientific discovery. Find out more by visiting: https://www.humanimaltrust.org.uk/