Dr. Ellen Smith, of Damascus, offers doctors and medical students the chance to take their knowledge and skills from inside the four walls of a hospital to the great outdoors.

For almost 10 years, Smith has been offering wilderness medicine courses to anyone interested whether they have a medical degree, are seeking a medical degree or just often find themselves outside.

There are a lot of educational gaps on how to handle stuff outside of the hospital, Smith said. You dont have the equipment that a paramedic has, but you have the knowledge of a doctor.

Smith estimates that she has taught her course, which she created utilizing her experience as an emergency medicine physician and sports medicine doctor, to more than 600 people ranging from doctors looking for continued medical education to Boy Scout leaders.

This is one of the most interesting and fun branches of medicine because it involves hands on movement and a less didactic [approach], Smith said.

On Saturday, Smith brought students from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and University of Maryland School of Medicine to a wooded area near Difference Makers Church in Damascus to take the course.

These students are in the first two or so years of medical school and are exploring all different types of medicine, Smith said, explaining that experiencing it is the best way to decide what path to take.

Smiths curriculum has been approved by the American College of Emergency Physicians as well as the American Medical Association and although her regular course gives certifications of completion, the course she taught last weekend was geared toward introducing the students to the field rather than giving them any sort of credit.

When I started med school I was very interested in wilderness medicine and VCU didnt have an interest group or any sort of elective, Phillip Sasser, a Virginia Commonwealth University medical student said. Me and a few people started a wilderness medicine interest group this year.

Sasser reached out to Smith because he and the group were looking for someone with experience that would be with them physically during a camping trip or full day lesson, similar to what they did last weekend. Sasser felt as if he needed to learn and practice this type of medicine outside and in the environment it would be used. Smith responded to his request immediately and told him to gather no more than 60 students who wanted to participate.

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Medical courses in Damascus taught on the wild side -- Gazette.Net