Wilderness medicine is all about providing medical services in the great outdoors. Often, this means using improvisation skills to adapt to the scenario and available resources. You can become a Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician by taking a course with one of the many wilderness medicine insitutions available, the most popular being the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Once certified, you are able to lead groups on wilderness expeditions, work at summer camps, etc.
Anything that can happen in an urban setting can occur in a wilderness setting. Often, more problems occur due to the extreme environments that the outdoors offers us. Examples include burns, heat illness, bacterial infections, lightning injuries, and snake bites. However, two of my favorites are listed below.
Subungal hematoma is simply a blister that develops under a nail. The pressure it creates is often the cause of great pain. Treatment includes relieveing the pressure my drilling a small hole in the nail to release the fluid beneath.
Altitude sickness is caused by changes in atmospheric pressure which decreases our normal oxygen intake. Three main types include the mild Acute Mountain Sickness, and the serious conditions of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and High Altitude Cerebral Edema. Treatments include oxygen, descending, drinking water, and rest.