LEWIS CENTER, Ohio (WCMH) — Resident emergency physicians gathered at Highbanks Metropark in Lewis Center Wednesday morning to learn more about caring for patients in outdoor situations.

When you are out in the wilderness you never know what you might run into. Accidents and attacks do happen, but after Wednesday’s Wilderness Medicine Day the doctors-in-training should know what to do.

Organizers of the training day said they want the resident emergency doctors to feel comfortable stepping in when something goes wrong outside of the emergency room. “When we’re in the hospital we have all the resources available at our fingertips but being able to intervene appropriately when you don’t have anything is a huge skill,” said emergency medicine resident Dr. Whitney Briggs.

Injuries and illness can be common for people doing outdoor activities like hiking or snowboarding. That’s why the physicians-in-training learned to provide care for bites, stings, broken bones, gaping wounds and wilderness-related illnesses.

“As emergency physicians, you are a jack of all trades so we’re preparing them to work in austere environments, which they may find themselves needing to provide care sometimes,” said emergency physician Dr. Daniel Bachmann.

There was even a simulated bear attack where the residents had to figure out how to treat a badly injured man in the woods with only a first aid kit.

Dr. Briggs says today deals with her two favorite things: emergency medicine and the outdoors.

“Wilderness medicine I think just combines both of my two loves. I’ve always loved the outdoors, always been a big hiker, backpacker, skier and so being able to combine both worlds is really cool for me,” said Dr. Briggs.

Everything the residents learned were examples of things they could deal with in the wild, and Dr. Bachmann said they took an oath to help people however they can. “We want to give them some tangible things that they can use if they find themself in a place where they have to take care of someone,” said Dr. Bachmann.

The residents are at the beginning of their career but organizers hope these skills can last them a lifetime.