“The mountains are calling and I must go.” –John Muir

• What is wilderness medicine?• How did it begin?• What does it encompass?• Why should I participate?• How do I become

involved?• Can I complete a

fellowship?

• Wilderness: “a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings”(1)

• Medical care in a non-medical setting• Requires broad

knowledge • Encourages adaptation

and creativity

• The earliest human medicine was wilderness medicine. (2)

• In the mid-1970s physicians and guides started meeting to discuss “Mountain Medicine” topics.

• The Wilderness Medical Society was formed in 1983. (3)

• In 1990 the first edition of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine was published.

• Wilderness medicine interest has grown every year.

• Wilderness medicine has expanded to sub-specialty areas.

Includes aspects of (4):•Mountain Medicine•Disaster Medicine•Marine Medicine•Tactical Medicine•Tropical Medicine•International Travel•Search and Rescue

• Altitude Disorders• Cold injuries &

hypothermia• Emergency airways• Evacuation techniques• Dive medicine• Lighting injuries• Wilderness trauma • Envenomation• Field dentistry• Survival physiology• Plant toxins and

dermatitis

• To become a well-rounded physician• To get a broader perspective of

medicine• To contribute to an emerging field of

medicine• To “Combine your profession with

your passion”™ (WMS)

• Join wilderness medicine organizations•Wilderness Medical Society (WMS)•ACEP, SAEM, EMRA Wilderness Medicine Sections•Student Interest Groups

•Wilderness Electives• Residency Specialty Track• Local Outdoor Groups• Research

• Wilderness Medicine Conferences• Advanced Wilderness

Life Support• Wilderness Medicine

Institute of NOLS• Wilderness Medical

Associates• Diploma in Mountain

Medicine (DiMM)

Formal Post-residency Fellowships

• Massachusetts General• Stanford• University of Utah• Denver Health• USCF-Fresno• SUNY Upstate • University of New Mexico• Medical College of

Georgia• Madigan Healthcare

System • Tufts University-Baystate

Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine™ or FAWM

• Provided through WMS• All medical

professionals• 100 credits over 5

years• Core curriculum • Experience credits• May begin as a

resident

• Wilderness Medicine is a broad field offering countless exciting opportunities.• There are multiple ways to get involved.• Wilderness medicine training helps all

physicians.• Get out there and have fun.

• 1. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Definition of Wilderness. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilderness. Accessed July 24, 2012.

• 2. Auerbach, PS. Wilderness Medicine, 6th ed. Forward & Preface. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1678-8..00125-2&isbn=978-1-4377-1678-8&uniqId=347118921-2#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1678-8..00125-2. Accessed July 24, 2012.

• 3. Barry, J and Erb, B. Wilderness Medical Society. Our History. http://wms.org/about/history.asp. Accessed July 24, 2012.

• 4. Auerbach, PS. Wilderness Medicine, 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1678-8..C2009-0-39724-X--TOP&isbn=978-1-4377-1678-8&about=true&uniqId=347118921-2. Accessed Jul 24, 2012.

• 5. Wilderness Medical Society. “Combine your profession with your passion”™. http://www.wms.org. Accessed July 24, 2012.