This is the first in a series of profiles designed to highlight the staff here at Remote Medical International. This week, we’re starting off with the man in charge of Field Operations in our Training Group.
Tyler Nielsen has been a Remote Medical instructor for the last four years. Before beginning a career in wilderness medicine and education, Tyler worked as a commercial fisherman. He has also been in the fire service since 2000, and currently serves as a paramedic in Whatcom County.
Not long after getting his paramedic certification in 2006, Tyler joined Remote Medical at the behest of his friend Christine Avakian to teach the Wilderness EMTÂ course. After teaching a few courses, Tyler deployed to Greenland as a remote area paramedic for Remote Medical. Operating at 11,000 feet, Tyler treated patients experiencing everything from high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), to salivary gland infections and a kitchen knife injury.
Working in Greenland in such a remote setting helped him develop a more primary care aspect of treating patients, says Tyler. He enjoyed the more hands on and in depth approach to emergency medicine that the remote location afforded him. His experience in the field is one of the things that Tyler believes helps him teach.
According to Tyler, what “makes our courses unique is that our instructors all come from very diverse backgrounds. When it comes to practicing remote medicine, we have instructors that work on ships as the sole medical providers, others that come from a guiding background, others that are straight out of the military, and some that have run medical clinics at 11,000 feet in the middle of Greenland. It is our instructors’ passion for medicine and this diversity that helps us reach all our students and help prepare them for the vastly different medical emergencies they are sure to encounter.”
It isn’t just the instructors that separate Remote Medical from other training and education providers and Tyler is one to give credit where it is due. “Remote Medical’s diversity of student backgrounds also serves to make our courses stronger.†Although he enjoys Remote Medical’s other courses, Remote Medicine for the Advanced Provider “is where I get to teach and learn at the same time. It’s more about starting a conversation.â€
When not working for Remote Medical or in the fire service, Tyler is most often found outdoors. Although he enjoys traditional bow-hunting and fly fishing, in the winter Tyler can be found skiing, thinking about skiing, and working at Mt. Baker’s ski patrol clinic.
Check out Tyler and the rest of the Remote Medical crew on our staff page.
