WMI Students in Action - letters from our files

Our students come from all walks of life. Many work in the outdoor education and guiding industries, still others are employed by governmental agencies including the National Park Service, the Forest Service and the Department of Defense. Regardless of how our graduates utilize their wilderness medicine training, they all share a profound passion for helping others.

Gabe Kleinman Pitkin WEMT May-June 04

"Here is a crazy story for you. Two days after I got home from Pitkin, I was on a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo. 40 minutes into the flight, they asked for medical personnel to ring their call button. I did, so did an ER doc from San Diego. A man in business class was having chest pains. He did not speak English and the flight attendants were worried he was having a heart attack.

When we got to the patient, he was cool, pale and clammy, clutching his chest. He said (through an interpreter) that his chest was squeezing. His pulse was weak and irregular and he said that his mouth hurt (jaw). After taking an initial set of vitals and starting high flow oxygen, the man went unresponsive. We quickly pulled him from his seat and dragged him into the galley, as there was not enough room in the aisle to work. The man was not breathing and did not have a pulse. At this point, the doctor initiated CPR and rescue breathing, while I prepared the AED (as he was "unfamiliar" with the AED). The pilot was informed that an emergency landing must be made and all air space was cleared to Seattle. The plane increased its speed, and immediately began an emergency landing. The AED delivered two stacks of shocks, and a weak rhythm returned. The doctor stayed with the patient while I went to the cockpit to talk to ALS in Seattle. I delivered a SOAP note to the ambulance, which met us on the tarmac. The man was out of the plane and in an ambulance in 5 minutes.

The doctor could not figure out the oxygen cylinders, nor could he auscultate a BP - good thing WMI was there. It was definitely second nature, thanks so much for drilling the skills into me. Oh, we also got upgraded to first class, and I now have 3 free tickets anywhere United flies. Nice perks.

Anyhoo, that's the crazy story, has a great rest of your summer!"

Gabe, was born and raised in Tucson Arizona. Gabe attended St. Gregory College Prep, and is currently a senior at Claremont McKenna College, majoring in Neuroscience. Currently, he is working on his thesis trying to determine the effects on Crayfish dominance hierarchies from osmotic application of 5HT (serotonin) and 5,7DHT (serotonin antagonist). Gabe also is currently employed by Symons EMS, and works as an EMT at sporting events, and concerts.   Gabe’s plan for the future is applying to medical school in June, and will then take a year off, working as an EMT in Los Angeles.

When asked why he decided to take a WMI WEMT course Gabe replies “because I love the outdoors, and Fred Roberts (past head of NOLS Africa), who was the dean of students at my high school, told me about how great it was.”

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