The ETC course
The European Trauma Course
Three days in which teams practise the initial care of critically injured patients together — structured, realistic and following the internationally standardised ETC curriculum.
01
The course concept
The ETC puts the trauma team, not the individual clinician, at the centre. In realistic scenarios, participants practise structured assessment and care in the first, decisive minutes — from handover and the prioritisation of life-saving interventions to the decision on definitive care.
No ETC course exceeds a ratio of two participants per instructor. Every scenario is followed by a structured debriefing: what did the team see, decide and communicate — and what does each person take back to their own shift?
02
The curriculum
The programme follows the international ETC standard and combines skill stations, workshops and team scenarios.
Primary survey
structured initial assessment using ABCDE
Airway
airway management in trauma patients
Shock
shock management and haemorrhage control
Thoracic trauma
recognising and treating life-threatening injuries
Traumatic brain injury
neuroprotection from the start
Communication
team communication and structured handover
Human factors
crisis resource management under pressure
Simulation
realistic scenarios with the whole team
03
The course format
On the third day, participants demonstrate in the team-leader assessment that they can lead a trauma team safely. To help you prepare, the English-language course manual is available in the protected course area before the course.
- 3 days
Skill stations, workshops and team scenarios; the team-leader assessment on day three.
- 12 | 24
participants per course — with three or six training rooms respectively.
- 2 : 1
no more than two participants per instructor, often close to 1 : 1.
- DFP
CME credits for Austrian doctors through the Academy of Physicians.
04
Who it is for
Healthcare professionals who care for critically injured patients or want to extend their trauma management skills.
- Physicians in acute and emergency medicine
- Anaesthesia and intensive care teams
- Surgery and trauma surgery
- Emergency and intensive care nursing
- Pre-hospital emergency teams
05
Certification and recognition
The European Trauma Course is endorsed by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC), the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC), the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EuSEM) and the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ESTES). Everyone who successfully completes the course receives an internationally recognised certificate from these societies.
The German Trauma Society (DGU) recommends the ETC in its White Paper as part of trauma centre certification. Austrian doctors earn DFP credits through the Academy of Physicians.
A clear head under pressure.
Those who learn to prioritise calmly and communicate clearly on the course do the same when it really matters.
Ready for your ETC?
Courses are held in-house at Austrian hospitals. If a date is fully booked, you can join the waitlist.