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Austere Surgical Course 2025
Train to be part of a 3-person surgical team to operate off-the-grid in remote and dangerous regions.
Join a three-man surgical team to provide care in overseas missions. Students will be asked to serve humanitarian missions in locations as diverse as Haiti, Africa, the Middle East, and Indochina. Taught by a former Special Forces surgeon and practitioners with deep experience providing advanced medical care in conflict and remote regions. This course combines a medical provider, anesthesia specialist, and resourceful facilitator and trains them as a team for active assignments in the mission field.
The Calling To Highly Austere Locations
War-torn regions and destabilized states such as Haiti, Ukraine, Sudan, Kurdistan, and Burma suffer the greatest spiritual and material needs. These regions are dangerous to operate in and have limited access to communication and medical care. Christian missionary organizations operating in these regions, from the Free Burma Rangers to All Things Possible, need highly trained and resilient missionaries. Serve a crucial calling by honing your skills to operate in irregular war zones and join a team ready to operate.
Why Take This Course?
World Class Professionals
The course is taught by surgeons, medics, and former special operations forces with extensive experience operating in irregular warfare environments; our instructors recognize the critical need for quality training before operating in dangerous and remote regions, especially those in active conflict. Instructor identities are private due to the sensitive nature of the work, reach out for more details.
Real World Simulated Crises
This course simulates real-world conditions; it will be physically rigorous and sometimes uncomfortable. Our trainers provide uniquely qualified and experienced instruction, generally only available in elite military and government organizations, to prepare you for confidence in crisis.
Prepare To Meet The Need
Missionaries and humanitarian workers often serve because they believe in the mission, but when unprepared, they can compromise the success of their mission and goals. This intensive course prepares humanitarian workers with a skillset and mindset to perform successful surgeries in the harshest environments.
Connect With Active Humanitarians
The instructors are active in serving these regions. Graduates will ideally serve with their three-person team in a humanitarian organization. Students not affiliated with an existing organization in the mission field will be recommended for potential missions commensurate with their faith, capabilities, and passion.
Course Objective
Build and prepare effective surgical teams for an irregular war environment by simulating real-world conditions and teaching foundational skills and mindsets.
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Key concepts
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Humanitarian ideology and challenges
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Small team dynamics
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Understanding violence in a humanitarian environment
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Operating in adversity - managing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual deficits
Student Requirements
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Enthusiastic: Desire and willingness to serve humanitarian missions
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Capable: Physically capable of carrying 35 lbs and hiking 5 miles
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Collaborative: Able to work in a team, leading and following to accomplish a shared mission and goal under stress and discomfort
Proficient: Students will hone one of three roles - surgery, anesthetist, or facilitator. Therefore, they should meet one of the following requirements:
A. Be a licensed Medical Provider (Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant)
B. Capable of administering anesthesia
C. Capable of guiding and leading small teams and coordinating with locals to enable the team to gain access and placement, overcoming cultural and language barriers
Primary Student Roles
Surgeon
- Conducts surgery
- Teaches surgical concepts
- Supports anesthesia provider and facilitator
- Provides non-surgical medical care
Facilitator
- Manages environment while the team is operating
- Understands and prepares local infrastructure and logistics
- Manages communication and gear
- Manages team’s finances
- Supports surgeon and anesthetist
- Integrates with local security, logistics, and engineering elements
- Ensures the team maintains its schedule, is prepared for events, and considers contingencies to overcome potential hurdles.
Anesthetist
- Conducts anesthesia
- Teaches anesthesia concepts
- Supports surgeon and facilitator
All Team Members:
1. Capable of preparing reports and presentations to standard
2. Integrate with local medical staff in Area of Operations (AO)
3. Encourages discipleship where opportunity allows.
4. Conducts themselves within our core values, statement of faith, and code.
Team Leader:
Chosen by the board after vetting and observation. The role of team leader is not dependent on experience, education, or role.
1. The team leader keeps the team focused on the mission.
2. Takes responsibility for team decisions and directions.
3. Makes the team schedule
Cost and Logistics
Course Cost:
$2,490 (instruction, room, and board)
Scholarships are available; please get in touch with us to learn more.
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Time:
July 7 - 13
(9am, Sunday - 5pm, Saturday)
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Location:
Into the Breach Training Center (Boulder Creek Retreat):
372 Denali Ln, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805
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Questions?
Contact Info:
Seth Kinkade
(831) 917-9525
seth@bouldercreekretreat.com
If you have a desire to serve but not sure where you fit in, reach out!