Pre-hospital, emergency and trauma medicine is often fast-paced, time-sensitive, life-saving interventions. Simulation training and knowing the latest guidance are critical to better patient outcomes.

Warwick medical students proudly host one of the highest-fidelity annual conferences and mass casualty simulations available nationally to medical students and healthcare professionals - PHEMTEC.

It was a fantastic experience to help organise, run, and capture the weekend event in stills and video as the Media Lead.

PHEMTEC 2019 started with a conference day, featuring inspiring talks about difficult decision making, responding to major incidents such as the 7/7 bombings, and vascular trauma by Prof. Chris Imray, Dr Steph Cowan, Dr Mathew Wyse & Eoin Walker.

Hands-on workshops on FAST ultrasound scanning, airway management, CPR & hemorrhage control, and A-E & triage, ran between the talks to build skills confidence ahead of the Sunday simulation.

The next day, a mass-casualty simulation took over Warwick Medical School. Between three zones, 48 simulated patients lay waiting for treatment, with special effects makeup and moulage applied by Kirsty and her team.

‘Hot Zone’ - replicated the dark site of a building collapse, complete with debris, smoke and the majority of patients for triage.

‘Warm Zone’ - casualty-clearing area challenged medics to stabilise and prioritise deteriorating patients for transfer to rapidly-filling hospitals.

‘Cold Zone’ - hospital resuscitation room mirrored the tasks, decisions and procedures of emergency clinicians in a high-fidelity environment, with four very sick patients.