Journalists invited to take part in wilderness medicine training class in upstate New York

Journalists, including photographers, are invited to observe and to participate in the 2008 Adirondack Wilderness Medicine class of Cornell University Outdoor Education and Weill Cornell Medical College Oct. 12-17. The base camp will be at Camp Dudley, between Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains, near Westport, N.Y. Space for this unique medical training, which teaches Weill Cornell third- and fourth-year medical students about wilderness and disaster preparedness skills, is limited to six reporters and photographers. We think it could also be useful to rural journalists covering stories in the wilderness.

The class will feature day hikes and peak scrambles and a multi-day canoe expedition. It will involve different scenarios in which “patients” will simulate being lost, ill and injured – ranging from a simple twisted ankle to complex multi-patient accidents involving trauma and major environmental threats. This photogenic opportunity, timed to coincide with peak fall foliage colors, will include “injured” students made up in fake blood and props. Their fellow students will need to find, assess, treat and transport them.

Participants must be prepared to handle rough terrain and inclement weather. To be considered, contact Blaine Friedlander, Cornell University Press Relations Office, at 607-254-8093 or bpf2@cornell.edu as soon as possible.