title: Surgical training model for advanced emergency medics in Afghanistan.
abstract: A surgical training model developed and implemented by the IMC for the training of advanced surgically capable medics operating in resistance-held rural Afghanistan is presented. Existing training programs for medics and midlevel health care workers are discussed, but these offer little or no surgical training and depend on a tiered system of referrals that is not possible in resistance-held Afghanistan. Details of the medics' training, enabling them to diagnose and treat 75% of war-related injuries in the rural population, are presented, as is the rationale for development of the model, based on data from other conflicts.
authors.affiliation: International Medical Corps, UCLA Hospital 90024.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Halbert
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Nasraty
mesh_terms: D000346:Afghanistan; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D000818:Animals; D003479:Curriculum; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000193:education*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008493:Medical Missions; D008887:Military Medicine; D012424:Rural Population; D014857:Warfare; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000601:surgery