Pre-hospital care--the evolution of a course for undergraduates.

Newly qualified doctors are ill equipped to deal with pre-hospital trauma emergencies. There is a public perception that medical education provides both experience and knowledge in this field. In Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK), committed doctors and nurses trained in pre-hospital care have evolved a specific course designed to equip the medical undergraduate to deal with pre-hospital trauma scenario. The pre-hospital trauma course for medical students has run annually from 1993 to 2000. The course caters for 200 students with a faculty of 30 instructors. Successful completion of the course which is rigorously assessed grants a certificate awarded by the Faculty of Pre-hospital Care at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Most importantly it equips the undergraduate with essential theoretical knowledge and practical skills to handle a pre-hospital trauma emergency.