Table 1. Test score results Picture 1. Basic Trauma Course Training Basic Trauma Course in Santiago Chile BACKGROUND The burden of death and disability from injury is especially notable in low- and middle-income countries. Courses administered by the American College of Surgeons have been instrumental in improving trauma care in the United States and have successfully been replicated internationally. In spite of this, ATLS is not available or affordable to rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, or is mainly restricted to urban areas. OBJECTIVE To deliver a reasonable systematic approach to the management of patients who sustained traumatic injuries in areas where resources are limited. METHODS Development of 20 hour didactic and hands-on basic trauma course by Virginia Commonwealth University’s ITSDP and PTS. Course applicable and adaptable to existing local resources in Latin American countries. Providing a systematic approach to basic trauma patient management specifically in rural settings; tracing the management of the patient from the initial site of injury at the scene, to the rural health posts, continuing on to the provincial hospitals, and subsequently to definitive referral centers. Topics included; introduction to trauma and emergency medical services, kinematics, airway management, shock and fluid resuscitation, thoracic trauma, musculoskeletal, pediatric, abdominal and pelvic trauma, neurotrauma, triage, thermal injuries and trauma registry. Participants; rural physicians, general surgeons, emergency physicians, EMS Providers, nurses, residents, medical students and public health workers. 30 multiple choice questions pre and post-test course used to assess baseline knowledge and information retention of participants. Paired t-test used to compare pre and post test scores. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. CONCLUSION Where there is no ATLS, a tailored trauma course and evaluation can be effective in educating local providers. An umbrella organization such as the Panamerican Trauma Society can serve to promulgate the application of courses that may serve as a model for continuing trauma care education in developing countries. RESULTS Course was administered at the pre-congress course sessions of the XXVI Panamerican Trauma Society Congress at Santiago, Chile during November Training team composed of: 4 trauma, critical care and emergency surgeons (2 from USA and 2 from Ecuador) 1 general Surgeon (from Chile) 1 General physician Course logistics and coordination undertaken by 1 International coordinator, three local coordinators and 1 medical student. 21 participants from 5 different countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador) signed up for the course and including; 1 EMS provider 6 medical students 8 general medicine physicians 2 general surgery residents 3 general surgeons 1 ICU physician. Figure 1. Overall means for the pre and post test. There was a significant improvement in test scores after Basic Trauma Course training (n=21; p=0.0008). Lina V. Mata MD., Sudha Jayaraman MD., Luke Wolfe MS Juan C. Salamea MD, Edgar B. Rodas MD., Daniel Ludi MD., Michel B. Aboutanos MD., MPH, Acute Care Surgical Services, Virginia Commonwealth University