Doing anything for the first time, especially a clinically invasive emergency procedure, is hard. If you don’t do that procedure regularly, it doesn’t get much easier – muscle memory fades, confidence drops, and you need reliable resources to remind you what to do, step by step.
So, how do we try to get around this at our WEMF Frontline Facial Trauma Workshops in Ukraine?
- Small groups, high contact time
We cap each workshop at a maximum of 20 students.
- 10 fully equipped skill stations
Those 20 students are divided into 10 stations.
- Each station consists of one trauma surgeon and one advanced combat medic.
- Each station is fully independent
Every station has a complete set of kit – so we literally carry 10 sets of everything.
That’s why our transport runs from the UK > Poland > Ukraine and back are so heavy.
- Deliberate practice for every individual
At each station, every individual performs every exercise:
- The right-hand person goes first while the left assists
- Then they swap roles so both get hands-on practice and muscle memory.
- Reinforcement after the workshop
We leave behind Ukrainian-language handouts and video tutorials so participants can refresh their skills and knowledge whenever needed.
- Ongoing support, not a one-off event
Our Ukrainian colleagues can contact us via WhatsApp at any time with:
- Questions
- Photos and videos
- Feedback on procedures they are planning or have already done.
- Completely volunteer-led & free of charge
All faculty are volunteers who teach free of cost.
The training for our Ukrainian colleagues is 100% free.
The only thing we ask in return is detailed, critical feedback on how we can improve the next workshop.
- Next step: simulation-based reinforcement
Based on feedback from the last workshop, we’re now adding simulation-based exercise learning to further reinforce skills.
David Stanton, an expert in this field, will be joining us in Ukraine to help:
- Design these simulation scenarios
- Train both our faculty and our students
- Maximise the learning benefit from each scenario.
This is how we try to bridge the gap between learning a procedure once and being ready to perform it under real pressure on the frontline. Our goal is to make every technique feel second nature, so when chaos hits, the response is instinctive.
How You Can Help
→ Find out more about the first UK PFC/PCC Course with WEMFund & World Extreme Medicine
→ To explore partnership or sponsorship opportunities, please contact us directly.
WEMF operates as a restricted fund under Humanitas (UK Registered Charity Number 1114639), Gift Aid claims are managed by Humanitas.