The British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit (BASMU) who are located at Plymouth gave us an intense course of first aid to finish off the Girton conference week.
BASMU can respond to any emergency whilst we are down south via email or phone, so if we get into any difficulty and need a specialist (even deep in the field) they can talk us through what needs to be done!
We learnt the primary survey of a patient...
A = airway
B = breathing
C = circulation
D = disability
E = exposure
B = breathing
C = circulation
D = disability
E = exposure
We went through lots of scenarios and little tests I between lectures so that we went over every aspect of first aid that may be needed from; eyes to cuts and burns but more importantly hypothermia and frost bite!
It was a great intense course and good again for team building which is either going to make or break a base when you are down south; or in fact in any situation!
I have an advanced first aid course in a few weeks with BASMU so that in the field I can give painkillers and antibiotics via injection or even assist the doc if there is a major incident!
To start off the weekend we completed our personal survival techniques (PST) which is sea survival. Travelling all the way to Kent for an intense day of theory and then tested our skills in a pool! Lots of water up people's noses jumping from a height and bruises from climbing in the rafts; but a fun day!
Most people do a trip on one of BAS's ships either to get to a base or back home.
In a very long time (April 2017) I will be coming back on the James Clark Ross and looking after the aquarium full of species that we will have collected for scientists in the UK....that's genuinely the bit I'm most terrified for!