By Molly Davis
San Bernardino County Sun
REDLANDS, Calif. — If you find yourself injured and stuck in the woods, you’ll want to be with a University of Redlands student.
The university held a course on campus last week to train students how to respond to medical emergencies in the wilderness and when one is at least two hours from a hospital.
Students learn skills comparable to those of emergency medical technicians.
“It’s really crucial to be able to take care of (injured persons) because there are a lot of things that could go wrong,” said Lena Carroll, a U of R student who took the course last year and reviewed her skills this year.
The program, sponsored by U of R’s Outdoor Programs and taught by Wilderness Medical Associates, instructs students in patient care and CPR. They also learn how to handle muscular and skeletal wounds, and respiratory problems.
“It’s great for students and for the university because (students) are given high-level training,” said Andrew Hollis, a U of R graduate student in charge of the school’s Outdoor Programs.
The training “comes into play in the back country,” he said.
After students receive the training and participate in a simulation in which they treat “patients,” they take written and practical tests.
“It gives you a lot of confidence in being a leader,” said Carroll. “It’s very intense.”
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