Basic Course C/2026

Basic Courses at UMIT

In recent years, alpine and high altitude medicine has developed sustainably. It is no longer just a few individuals who venture to the highest mountains in the world, but due to the growing market for trekking offerings, several hundred thousand people now visit mountain regions outside the Alps annually. In addition, there is European mountain tourism with an estimated 5-10 million hikers and 500,000 climbers per year. It is therefore understandable that a new branch of medicine has inevitably developed in recent decades. The introduction of the ÖÄK Diploma in Alpine and High Altitude Medicine represents a meaningful expansion of offerings for physicians who wish to engage intensively with all aspects of alpine and high altitude medicine. Through the generated clinical-interdisciplinary expertise and through practical implementation with the alpine sports courses offered in the new ÖÄK Diploma, the medical advisory competence of physicians is to be improved and their diagnostic-therapeutic skills in high altitude medicine are to be trained so that they can be applied in daily clinical practice.

Details about the diploma can be found at:
www.arztakademie.at/alpinmedizin

The target group includes physicians in general medicine, specialists in all medical fields, as well as licensed physicians. A prerequisite for acquiring creditable continuing education hours toward the ÖÄK Diploma is graduation from medical school.

We would like to point out that if places remain available, the basic courses can also be completed by non-Austrian physicians.

Medical students can participate in the basic courses at a reduced price if places remain available.

Within the framework of the UMIT Academy, the four basic courses of the ÖÄK Diploma A–D are conducted under the professional leadership of the Austrian Society for Alpine and High Altitude Medicine (ÖGAHM). The scientific director of the basic courses and diploma coordinator for the Austrian Medical Chamber is Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schobersberger, Institute for Sports, Alpine Medicine & Health Tourism (ISAG; UMIT). Ms. Alexandra Peskoller, UMIT, is responsible for administrative matters.

Basic Courses A and B (each consisting of 13 teaching units of 45 minutes) focus on altitude physiology – internal medicine – pediatrics; Basic Courses C and D (each consisting of 13 teaching units of 45 minutes) are dedicated to alpine medicine orthopedics/traumatology – emergency medicine – avalanche medicine.

All basic courses are accredited by the Austrian Medical Chamber with continuing education hours for general medicine and sports medicine.