About Dimm Andes
The genesis of the DiMM Andes was the obvious necessity to bring the Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) to South America, the only continent in the world (besides Antarctica) where the program has not been consolidated.
The reason for the absence of the DiMM program in Latin America is, in large part, related to the difficult economic conditions faced by many of the people in the nations of Latin America; making the price tag of this course prohibitive for a significant portion of South American medical providers.
The DiMM of the Andes is brought to you by Faculty of the Wilderness & Environmental Medicine section of the University of Colorado, USA. At this time, the Diploma in Mountain Medicine of the Andes (DiMMAndes), offers the Expedition and Wilderness Medicine specialty course.
In collaboration with other academic, mountain medicine and rescue institutions in North America, South America and Europe, we present a sustainable course model in hope of forming a range of Diploma courses open to South American medical providers.
We welcome all qualified applicants of any country to register and receive the highest level of training, while exploring the magnificent mountain ranges and the colorful culture of South America. This course aims to offer support to local applicants by providing partial scholarship to applicants that live and work in a Latin-American country. We hope that you will join us on this the expedition course. (The course is dictated in English).
This expedition course will have a nomad spirit, rotating yearly on the different sub-ranges of the Andes (Cordillera Blanca, Patagonia, Central Andes, etc), we decided on this approach to positively impact the different countries of Latin America, offer a diversity of cultural and terrain experience and hopefully give you the chance to join us year after year in a variety of venues!
Join DiMM of the Andes and expand your capabilities as an expedition medical provider, you will support a worthy cause, partake in a cultural exchange with the local health care providers of South America and help develop the educational building blocks for the delivery of superior mountain medicine in the pristine, glaciated mountains of South America.
Note* Completion of The UIAA/ICAR/ISMM DiMM foundational course is prefered ( but not exclusive) to participate in DiMM Andes, if a qualified applicant without a finalized foundational course successfully completes DiMM Andes, a temporary Certificate in Mountain Medicine: Expedition subspecialty will be issued by the program until the student completes their foundational DiMM with another institution, the Diploma In Mountain Medicine, expedition subspecialty then will be awarded.
Our Logo
The Andean Condor is a national symbol in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, playing an important role in the folklore and mythology of the communities of the Andean regions.
The condor was associated with the sun deity and is considered a symbol of power and health by many Andean cultures. It was believed that the bones and organs of the Andean condor possessed medicinal powers.
It is the largest flying bird in the world by combined measurement of weight and wingspan, it nests at elevations of up to 5,000m (16,000 ft), and is one of the world’s longest-living birds (70 years in some cases).
Our Classroom
7,000 km (4,300 mi) long, the Andes represents the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America.
The Andes are the world’s highest mountain range outside Asia. The peak of Chimborazo in the Ecuadorian Andes is farther from the Earth’s center than any other location on the Earth’s surface! (yes, farther away than Everest)
The term cordillera comes from the Spanish word “cordel”, meaning “rope”. This “rope” of snow, ice and rock links, geographically and culturally, seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina
In a continent of rich topographic and biological diversity, this mountain range crosses rain forests, ancient lost cities and communities descendant from the Inca Empire will fill your senses. You will be immersed in a magnificent setting of glaciers, volcanoes and snowy peaks of different elevations, climate and technical difficulty.
Along the trails of the Andes, the scent of ancient cultures is alive and present, where the colors, the food and the songs are inspired by the wind, the water and the animals reflecting on a sacred connection to the earth. Come and see.
