Pre-Hospital, Emergency Medicine & Trauma Education Conference (PHEMTEC) 2022
Warwick Medical School, Apr 2022
PHEMTEC was back after 2½ years and a pandemic.
Since only a handful of us who experienced PHEMTEC 2019 had not already graduated as doctors, it felt like a mammoth task to relight the fire for a new generation of students.
Warwick medical students across all year groups, from an array of backgrounds, came together (in many meetings) to organise and host what we believe to be the greatest PHEMTEC yet.
What is PHEMTEC?
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine & Trauma Education Conference.
Organised and run entirely by Warwick Medical Students, this two-day event invites students of all disciplines to expand their knowledge & skills in emergency medicine - an area that gets comparably less focus at university.
A conference & hands-on workshops are held on the first day, inspiring and educating delegates on possibilities, realities and clinical skills. The next day hosts an all-day mass casualty simulation across three unique zones, challenging delegates to treat patients under overwhelming pressure.
2022 saw the third instalment of this incredible event - a collaboration of Warwick medical students from all years, the West Midlands CARE Team, and local doctors, nurses & more.
60 delegates from a range of healthcare backgrounds joined us. Qualified & student doctors, nurses, paramedics and more came together to create one of the most inclusive multi-disciplinary conferences and simulations around.
As the Mass Casualty Coordinator & inevitable photographer for PHEMTEC 2022, I’m pleased to share below what made this year such a success.
Conference
Four speakers included:
"The role of the coroner and mass fatality incidents" by Mrs Louise Hunt
"Moral injury under pressure" by Dr Will Freake
"Policing, high threat prehospital care & major incidents" by Mr Sean Harris
"Where does PHEM start? a case based discussion around the breadth of PHEM" by Dr Jon Townsend
Workshops
Six hands-on workshops included:
A-E assessment & triage
Human factors & communication
Equipment familiarisation
Airway management
Ultrasound guided cannulation
EZ-IO
Mass Casualty Simulation
Triage Zone
Designed to overwhelm, this simulated supermarket collapse challenged 20 responders to find, triage and treat 18 patients by torchlight.
Burns, crush, trauma and penetrating wounds featured predominantly.
Responders were helped and guided by the West Midlands CARE Team (voluntary prehospital doctors).
Mass Casualty Simulation
Immediate Care Zone
This casualty clearing area challenged 20 responders to triage, treat and transfer 16 patients of varying complexity in a low resource environment.
A mix of trauma & medical complaints included shrapnel wounds, fractures, anaphylaxis and mental health.
Responders were helped and guided by local emergency doctors and the West Midlands CARE Team.
Mass Casualty Simulation
Resuscitation Zone
This simulated A&E resus room challenged 20 responders to treat 4 patients of considerable complexity, with high-fidelity referrals, investigations & paperwork.
All uniquely significant traumatic injuries, medical issues and co-morbidities.
Responders were helped and guided by local emergency doctors.
Mass Casualty Simulation
Moulage
Realistic injury makeup can make or break an immersive simulation. Kirsty and I have published a paper about it.
Former professional makeup artist, Dr Kirsty (featured in this portrait album) led the moulage team again in creating wounds and details that help suspend disbelief.
Thank you Kirsty for sharing your incredible talent, which makes Warwick Medical School Trauma & Emergency Medicine Society training so valuable.