Surgical training model for advanced emergency medics in Afghanistan

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.