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MSc/PGDip

Mountain Medicine

Attendance

Campus

Start

Duration

1-3 Years

Start

September 2023

Delivery

Campus Taught

Our MSc/PGDip Mountain Medicine course is designed to give registered healthcare practitioners interested in expedition, travel, remote, rescue and high-altitude medicine the theoretical and practical knowledge to manage the specific illnesses and diseases that may occur in these environments.

The programme combines practical skills and theory, both in medicine and mountaineering, to equip you with the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to operate successfully in mountain environments. Difficult terrain, high altitudes and harsh weather can quickly lead to life-threatening situations and present unique challenges when it comes to locating and treating casualties and saving lives.

The faculty include some of the most eminent figures in high altitude medicine, top mountain guides and others at the forefront of mountain rescue.

The Postgraduate Diploma course takes place as four week-long modules, two of which are based at the Welsh National Outdoor Centre at Plas y Brenin, one at Fort William in Scotland’s West Coast, and culminates with a week in Arolla in the Swiss Alps.

Why study with us

Develop your medical and mountaineering skills in this unique, practical course.
Our guiding team is made up of hand-picked, highly qualified IFMGA mountain guides and mountain instructors. They have experience of climbing, skiing and guiding all over the World and bring a huge depth of experience to their role as trainers on the Diploma in Mountain Medicine. They provide friendly, top class instruction and coaching so both beginners and seasoned mountaineers will benefit from time in the hills with them.
This flexible blended learning programme combines face-to-face teaching with an online virtual learning environment to fit around your professional and personal commitments.

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What you'll do

Study in real life conditions on the mountainside with a qualified mountain guide and clinical tutor right beside you.
Learn and gain experience working at altitude during our module based in the Swiss Alps.
Meet, socialise and study with potential future expedition team mates.

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Course overview

The course takes place over 4, 1 week long blocks in December, March, May and September.

2 weeks are based in the Welsh National Outdoor Centre, Plas y Brenin in North Wales

1 week is based in Fort William in West Scotland

1 week is based in Arolla, Switzerland

Delivery is a combination of practical sessions in small groups, much of which is on the mountainside, accompanied by lectures from subject experts and small group tutorials. This is supported by content delivered online in the course virtual learning environment that includes discussion forums, quizzes and pre-module reading.

Module overview

Course delivery

Following the pandemic, we have found that some courses benefit from a blended learning and teaching approach. Therefore, the majority of your teaching will be face-to-face on campus aside from a small amount of online teaching where we have learnt it works best.

80%Face-to-face

20%Online

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

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Accreditations

The centre is accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons, a professional membership organisation and registered charity which exists to advance patient care. The Royal College of Surgeons of England, registered charity number 212808.

Academic expertise

Entry requirements

PGDip Mountain Medicine: The annual deadline for applications for the next academic year is 30 April 2023

MSc Mountain Medicine: Applications for direct entry by holders of the UIAA/ICAR/ISMM International Diploma in Mountain Medicine to the MSc year of the programme will be accepted until the beginning of each academic year.

Applicants will be registered with one of the nine UK Health and Care Regulatory Bodies, (GMC, HCPC, NMC, GDC etc.). Applications will also be considered from final year healthcare students who will complete the course after they are fully registered. Overseas applicants will hold registration with their national equivalent Health and Care Regulatory Bodies. Due to the clinical nature of the course, we regret that we cannot accept applications from applicants who do not fulfil this requirement.

Applicants would normally hold a British honours degree (class 2:2 class or above) or equivalent or provide evidence of the ability to study at master's level.

Sufficient competency in English language (IELTS Academic module 6.5. is required. Please note that UCLan accepts IELTS Academic and IELTS UKVI but does not accept IELTS General.

Please complete the electronic Mountaineering Experience Proforma, save and attach this to your online application.

Mountaineering Standards

The Postgraduate Diploma in Mountain Medicine is a very practical qualification for clinicians operating in a mountain environment or advising patients who will be in a mountain environment. It is therefore vital that the clinician concerned is safe, relaxed, and capable of looking after themselves in the mountains when caring for a patient. It is also important that a clinician advising a mountaineering patient has theoretical and practical experience of the environment in which the patient will be active.

Applicants are required to have experience of travelling through mountain terrain in both summer and winter conditions. They must also have logged multi-pitch rock climbs of V Diff (UIAA 3) standard or above and have logged winter climbs that require the use of crampons. (Scottish grade 1/2 or above). These can be as a leader or second.

Applicants not based in the UK may qualify by showing climbs of equivalent standard, though they may be asked to familiarise themselves with UK conditions before attending the relevant modules.

While further training is given, applicants should have the basic navigation skills needed for British hills in summer and using Ordinance survey (OS) 1:25 000 and 1:50 000 maps.

Basic climbing and mountaineering techniques are reviewed on the practical modules, but the applicant should have a basic understanding of climbing and belaying techniques in both Summer and Winter.

Fees and funding

2022/23

Part-time£1200 per 20 credits (PGDip = 120 credits) £7200 total fee

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country and see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

You’ll be taught by an experienced team of academic staff, clinicians, qualified mountain guides, leaders and managers. We’ll aim to give you the theoretical and practical knowledge to manage the specific illnesses and diseases that may occur in the mountain environment.

Through this programme, you can expect to gain an understanding of the physiological changes associated with exercise and with living at altitude; an appreciation of the mountain environment; and the environmental factors that may lead to illness or injury.

You’ll develop your knowledge of aspects of travel medicine that are important to mountain travel; gain proficiency in the practical skills of survival and mountain rescue; and undertake training in the management of altitude-related disease and the specific problems of managing illnesses and injuries that occur during a journey to the mountain environment.

This flexible blended learning programme combines an online virtual learning environment with face-to-face teaching, creating a unique and challenging programme that combines mountaineering and medicine. It provides a range of interesting learning opportunities, encompassing theoretical knowledge and practical mountain skills.

You’ll be able to access the online component of the course at your own pace. It includes reading and collaboration with tutors and other students via the online discussion forum. Face-to-face teaching is delivered in blocks, so weekly attendance on campus is not required.

You’ll be assessed using various methods. These are likely to include case study presentations, case-based demonstrations, practical demonstrations and written assessments.

In order to achieve the full MSc qualification, you’ll be required to complete either a dissertation or professional project.

The course starts in September with individual and collaborative tasks set in our virtual learning environment (VLE).

For the Postgraduate Diploma, there are four modules of face-to-face learning lasting one week each that take place in December, March, May and September. These are also supported by learning in the VLE. Study can be completed within 12-months, but many students choose to fit these modules around their work over a two or three year period.

Completing the MSc takes an additional 12 months once the Postgraduate Diploma has been achieved.

You have the option of exiting with a Postgraduate Diploma in Mountain Medicine or continuing the course to gain the full MSc Mountain Medicine.

On successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma you will be awarded the International Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) from the UIAA/ICAR/ISMM – a widely respected and internationally recognised qualification.

If you would like to find out more about this course, please contact our team: PGMed@uclan.ac.uk

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This course is based in the School of Medicine located in the Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

Mountain Medicine

Why study with us

What you'll do

Gallery01 / 02

Course overview

Delivery

Duration

Module overview

Course delivery

Discover our Westlakes Campus

Accreditations

Academic expertise

Entry requirements

Fees and funding

Course Specific Optional Costs

Scholarships and bursaries

Future careers

Learning and assessment

Accreditations

Industry links

Further information