It is early February in Quebec. The wind pierces the trees like glass, and snow stretches endlessly in every direction. Somewhere in the Laurentians, a group of medical students are crouched in the snow, their breath visible in the icy air, their gloved hands working quickly. In front of them is a realistic simulation mannequin, pulled moments ago from a frozen lake. Hypothermia, cardiac arrest, time is running out.
This is no ordinary internship. It's the Wilderness Medicine Internship, a collaboration between the Institut du Savoir Montfort and the University of Ottawa. A bold, immersive initiative designed to prepare future healthcare professionals for the kind of unpredictable, high-stakes medicine that takes place where GPS signals fade and ambulances don't go.
Over several days in Cantley and the Laurentians, students were confronted with a series of intense, hands-on scenarios:
- A climber hanging from a frozen rock face, who had to be stabilized and rescued with limited tools.
- A person buried in an avalanche, whose location is indicated only by the beep of a transceiver, testing the students' speed, coordination and reaction to severe trauma and lack of oxygen.
- A group lost in the dense winter forest, with cases of frostbite, dehydration and disorientation.
- And of course, the now famous ice water rescue, simulating the very real threat of cold shock, hypothermia and drowning.
Each scene challenged participants not only to apply their clinical knowledge, but also to cultivate a deeper sense of mindfulness. Here, far from the walls of a hospital, calm and quick thinking can mean the difference between life and death.
But while the students were learning how to handle emergencies in extreme environments, another team was working just as hard, behind the scenes.
Dr. Steve Truong, co-director of Montfort's simulation program, is quick to point out the heroes whose names may not appear on the final evaluation forms: the simulation lab technicians.
“These scenarios would be impossible without them,” he explains. "They take complex, hospital-grade simulation equipment and adapt it to harsh outdoor conditions. They literally rebuild the equipment.
For this course, technicians had to remove all electronics from mannequins not designed to survive sub-zero temperatures or burial in snow, and completely redesign their carcasses. Even the hips were modified to make the mannequins lighter and more maneuverable, especially for the climbing rescue scenario.
The result? Ultra-realistic, urgent and physically demanding medical simulations.
This blend of technical ingenuity, clinical training and emotional resilience is what makes the Wilderness Medicine course so unique. It's more than a course. It's a state of mind, preparing students not only for exams, but also for emergencies that don't wait for ideal conditions.
When students return from the forest, cold-covered and exhausted, but with full hearts and keen eyes, they take with them more than just new skills. They take with them stories. Stories of survival, teamwork and the quiet excellence of those who make it all possible, often behind the scenes.
Because sometimes, the most important lessons in medicine are not learned under fluorescent lights, but in the snow and by starlight.
This initiative is also in line with one of the five objectives of the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan of Hôpital Montfort, Institut du Savoir Montfort and Santé Montfort: Increasing the impact of teaching and research. By pushing back the traditional boundaries of medical training, ISM is once again demonstrating its commitment to innovation and adapting to the realities of the field.