Our Philosophy
The Emergency Medical Diver program was started by three passionate divers who also happen to work in EMS. Our mission is to provide training and educational opportunities for RN’s, paramedics, EMT’s and any healthcare provider who may find themselves assessing and treating patients suffering injuries and illnesses related to scuba diving.
While many education programs utilize “death by Power Point”, we find our self-diagnosed ADD doesn’t fit well with sitting in a classroom all day. As a result, we utilize a variety of experiential education models to teach content. We combine short lectures with facilitated hands-on learning utilizing both Standardized Patient Actors with high-fidelity manikins and low-fidelity skills trainers to create realistic patient scenarios. Following each scenario, a structured debrief gives ample opportunity for students and facilitators to review the case and correct any errors.
Our teaching style prioritizes student learning over mass education. Our classes are intentionally small, with teams of no more than 6 students, allowing each student the opportunity to lead cases and learn by doing.
The Team
Working EMS in a world-renowned dive destination enables us to not just teach the theory, but since we’re working full-time, we routinely manage patients suffering dive related injuries. You can learn from those who teach based on theory, or you can learn from those who teach based on evidence and experience, the choice is yours.
Our Faculty
Donald Smith– Working in healthcare around the United States for over 16 years and as a paramedic for over 12 years, Donald’s experience includes both in-hospital and pre-hospital environments. He routinely teaches AHA courses i and has opened and managed a hospital-based simulation center. A graduate of the Center for Medical Simulation, a division of Harvard Medical School, Donald’s philosophy is “learn by doing.”
James Brewer– With a decades long career in diving around the world, James parlayed his experience under the water into a career topside in the back of an ambulance. Training as an Ambulance Technician in the UK, James settled in the Caribbean where he has been practicing with a hospital-based EMS system. His vast experience teaching and working in scuba helps bring practicality to our courses, he’s the epitome of “been there, done that.”
Chris Brandson– Hailing from the Great White North, aka Canada, Chris started life racing cars. When he realized there was no money to be made there, he transitioned to the “highly lucrative” world of scuba instructor. When he realized THAT didn’t pay well either, he went back to school to work in EMS. He’s so excited to not have to work for tips, none of us have had the heart to tell him that EMS doesn’t pay great either. Eventually he’ll figure it out, but until then, we’ll bribe him with beer to pass along his expansive knowledge of dive medicine.