App State students and Mountaineer Medics Owen Troxell, far left, and Emily Bjerregaard, second from left, are pictured with members of the London Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust at an ambulance station in London. Photo submitted
BOONE, N.C. — This spring, student and staff members of Appalachian State University’s Mountaineer Medics gained an international perspective on emergency care, engaging in active service-learning with the London Ambulance Service (LAS) National Health Service Trust — one of the busiest emergency medical service (EMS) agencies in the world. The team plans to leverage its insights to strengthen both local response procedures and Mountaineer Medics training.
Part of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management (EHS&EM), Mountaineer Medics is App State’s career development and EMS agency. It consists of undergraduate and graduate students with emergency medical technician (EMT) credentials, who work part-time and volunteer to provide emergency medical care to members of the App State Community. Students gain practical experience in the emergency medical field while also helping to increase the Boone campus’s access to prehospital care.
Over the course of a week, 10 App State students participated in observation shifts with LAS response teams, including ambulance crews, fast response units and a specialized incident response officer operating a helicopter. During the ride-alongs, students learned about similarities and differences in EMS practices and training standards in the United Kingdom and United States. They asked questions, interacted with patients and brought home suggestions for how to enhance local response procedures and their own training.
App State students and Mountaineer Medics are pictured in London, alongside Allan Woodhouse, a cycle paramedic in the London Ambulance Service Cycle Response Unit, center. Pictured with Woodhouse, from left to right, are App State students Kimberly Mai, Owen Troxell, Joshua Allen, Eden Kitchin, Morgan Pitts, Jillian Russert, Michael Navejas, Emily Bjerregaard, Raina Duggal and Danielle Denny. Photo submitted
In addition to answering 999 emergency calls, a service similar to 911 in the U.S., LAS also answers and directs calls to nonemergency answer centers, such as when an ambulance is not needed but assistance and support over the phone is valuable to those in need. LAS:
- answers around 2 million emergency calls each year;
- attends over 3,000 emergencies each day;
- serves an area covering 620 square miles, with personnel split over five sectors; and
- maintains 64 ambulance stations.
Mountaineer Medic Joshua Allen, a senior criminal justice major from Greensboro, reflected on his observations and how these differences have already impacted his learning.
“The trip broadened my perspective on how EMS systems can be structured,” said Allen. “In the United Kingdom, paramedicine is a university-based degree that leads to international certification — making it more standardized and transferable within the U.K. Conversely, certification systems in the U.S. vary by state and can require steps for reciprocity, if you want to work in another state.”
Pictured, from left to right, are App State students Raina Duggal, a senior public health major; Joshua Allen, a senior criminal justice major; and Morgan Pitts, a sophomore nursing major. Each student was awarded scholarship support to take part in the Global perspectives in emergency medical care: London study abroad course. Photos by Chase Reynolds and Kyla Willoughby
Morgan Pitts, a sophomore nursing major from Lincolnton, was the only student on the trip who had not yet engaged in emergency medical services, making the experience with the Mountaineer Medics especially impactful to her studies.
“This trip has opened my eyes to a completely new field in patient care, and I am now considering earning my EMT,” said Pitts. “My first ever ride-along was with the LAS. They guided me through the calls they received, and the wide range of patients and call types I observed was thrilling.”
Pitts added that she aims to draw upon this experience for her future research, with the hope that it can lead to improvements in the U.S. EMS system.
App State Mountaineer Medics students and staff members pay a visit to the London Ambulance Service (LAS) training facility in London. Pictured, from left to right, are LAS staff members James Stevenson and Amanda Cahill; App State students and staff Jillian Russert, Eden Kitchin, Danielle Denny, Owen Troxell, Morgan Pitts, App State Continuity and Resiliency Coordinator Stephen Ayscue, Emily Bjerregaard, Michael Navejas, Raina Duggal, App State Director of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management Jason Marshburn and Joshua Allen; and LAS staff members Eireann Staunton and Amy Harrington. Photo submitted
Course collaboration and development
Driven by observations of London’s high-volume EMS operations during a personal trip, Jason Marshburn, director of App State EHS&EM, began networking last year to lay the foundation for a new study abroad course that allows students to gain academic credit while studying the nuances of international emergency services firsthand.
“Once we connected with the LAS team, we partnered with Beaver College of Health Sciences to tailor a program especially for App State students,” Marshburn explained. “We designed it to offer a robust experience to students interested in health sciences, medical professions and public service, where they could compare their active learning in London with their own work and enhance their education experience.”
London Ambulance Service (LAS) National Health Service Trust Chief Executive Officer Jason Killens, left, receives a partnership award from App State Director of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management Jason Marshburn outside an LAS ambulance station in London. Photo submitted
App State nursing student Morgan Pitts is pictured with a London Ambulance Service (LAS) emergency vehicle following a ride-along during her first observation shift with an LAS crew. Photo submitted
Dr. Benjamin Sibley, associate dean for academics in the Beaver College of Health Sciences, worked with Marshburn’s team on course logistics to create an elective for academic credit, so that financial aid could be made available to participating students. Together, they developed a one-hour offering — Global perspectives in emergency medical care: London. Plans are in place to offer the course again in spring 2027, with more information to be released by the Office of International Programs this fall. The course is open to all App State students, regardless of major.
A scholarship was also available for the study abroad course, with funds helping to cover three students’ travel expenses. Pitts, along with Eden Kitchin, a sophomore nursing major from Newland, and Owen Troxell, a senior exercise science major from Moseley, Virginia, were each selected for the scholarship.
App State nursing major Eden Kitchin shares her excitement, posing with a London Ambulance Service emergency vehicle in front of Buckingham Palace in London. Photo submitted
Personal and professional growth through study abroad
Students who took part in the London study abroad course emphasized the personal and academic enrichment made possible through App State study abroad programs. The London trip was the first international experience for Mountaineer Medic Raina Duggal, a senior public health major from Reston, Virginia.
“This experience gave me a broader perspective on how EMS fits into a larger health care system, and it motivated me to pursue a paramedic role in the future,” said Duggal. “The trip was a great way to expand knowledge and grow both personally and professionally.”
App State Mountaineer Medic and senior criminal justice major Joshua Allen, center, is pictured with London Ambulance Service crewmembers during his observation shift. Photo submitted
Raina Duggal, who was selected for an observation shift with a London Ambulance Service standby helicopter crew, visits a helipad in London. Photo submitted
She added, “It reminded me how valuable it is to learn from different perspectives and motivated me to keep improving. I would encourage other students to take advantage of opportunities like this one if available, even if it feels unfamiliar or challenging.”
Allen shared how a study abroad opportunity can reinforce students’ career goals and ongoing studies.
“It is valuable to step outside of your normal environment and see how other systems operate, because experiencing different models will challenge your assumptions and expand your thinking in ways that aren’t accessible in the classroom,” he said. “This trip allowed me to engage with a new culture both professionally and personally, and it reinforced my interest in emergency services and public safety.”
What do you think?
Share your feedback on this story.
About the Office of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management (EHS&EM)
The Office of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management (EHS&EM) at Appalachian State University works in coordination with other university departments to support App State's commitment to campus safety. The office’s primary responsibility is environmental health, safety and emergency management functions across App State’s Boone and Hickory campuses. EHS&EM also coordinates App State’s on-campus emergency medical service (EMS) program, Mountaineer Medics, which provides emergency medical care and support to the App State Community. Learn more at https://ehsem.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
