Wilderness / Expedition Medicine

[thelampking]

Hey hey hey!

I'm interested in wilderness medicine. Dream job: trekking up mountains while being able to practice medicine. It combines my 3 passions: medicine, fitness, and travel. Close 2nd dream job: Doctors Without Borders or another international health aid company. 3rd: FEMA (or something similar). I've explored ways to try to satisfy these dream jobs without going to medical school (EMT, Ski patrol, Pharmacy Technician, Fitness Instructor, various traveling jobs) and I keep coming up empty handed - it's just not fulfilling enough for me. So I think I'm ready to take the plunge of medical school. All the threads on this are extremely outdated and Google tends to give me a lot of UK info on this subject, so I thought I'd start anew.

My questions are (and please be frank with me):

1. Is this a pipe dream to go into medicine with this specific goal in mind? (I know my goals could change, but if they don't - is this really feasible?)
2. Is there an alternate path I haven't thought of? (My research shows paramedic is the only other route, and most companies only look for doctors now because it's so competitive and malpractice.)
3. How do I do achieve this? Can I be this forthcoming in interviews? Suggestions on schools? It's September now, so it looks like I'll be applying June 2018 - almost 2 full years until I would start med school... What should I do to gain experience/acceptance?

Thank you so much! <3


Other details: 26, MCAT: 506, GPA: 3.42, Biochemistry BSc (premed), applied MD twice (too late applying 1st time, incorrect residency f*ed up the 2nd time), currently living and working in Thailand as conservation field staff for a voluntourism company (glorified unpaid adventure guide).

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[Ad2b]

Google didn't find us? Odd. This is the first place it sent me

Not too old, not a pipe dream BUT...

Your GPA + MCAT are probably insufficient for most MD schools and the best DO schools. Either take more courses in sciences to raise the post-bacc GPA to a 4.0 or so, and/or retake that MCAT.

For DWB, research their site.

To me, I think you need to get accepted to med school and let that play out. Along the way, the path to adventure med will become a reality or not. You could also apply to one of the armed forces to get overseas medic experience, serve the country and get med school paid for.

Best of luck no matter where you end up!

(P.S. Loved Thailand!!!)

 

[CyrilFiggis]

My questions are (and please be frank with me):

1. Is this a pipe dream to go into medicine with this specific goal in mind? (I know my goals could change, but if they don't - is this really feasible?)
2. Is there an alternate path I haven't thought of? (My research shows paramedic is the only other route, and most companies only look for doctors now because it's so competitive and malpractice.)
3. How do I do achieve this? Can I be this forthcoming in interviews? Suggestions on schools? It's September now, so it looks like I'll be applying June 2018 - almost 2 full years until I would start med school... What should I do to gain experience/acceptance?

1) When are you going to figure out if your goals change?
2) Yes - go to PA school and become an EM PA
3) Wilderness Medicine is a fellowship for board-certified EM Docs. No medical school is going to provide you with a "better" chance of getting into fellowship. If you're interested in FEMA work, realize that there is an entire world of Emergency/Disaster Management that is non-medical.

 

[workaholic181]

Hey hey hey!

I'm interested in wilderness medicine. Dream job: trekking up mountains while being able to practice medicine. It combines my 3 passions: medicine, fitness, and travel. Close 2nd dream job: Doctors Without Borders or another international health aid company. 3rd: FEMA (or something similar). I've explored ways to try to satisfy these dream jobs without going to medical school (EMT, Ski patrol, Pharmacy Technician, Fitness Instructor, various traveling jobs) and I keep coming up empty handed - it's just not fulfilling enough for me. So I think I'm ready to take the plunge of medical school. All the threads on this are extremely outdated and Google tends to give me a lot of UK info on this subject, so I thought I'd start anew.

My questions are (and please be frank with me):

1. Is this a pipe dream to go into medicine with this specific goal in mind? (I know my goals could change, but if they don't - is this really feasible?)
2. Is there an alternate path I haven't thought of? (My research shows paramedic is the only other route, and most companies only look for doctors now because it's so competitive and malpractice.)
3. How do I do achieve this? Can I be this forthcoming in interviews? Suggestions on schools? It's September now, so it looks like I'll be applying June 2018 - almost 2 full years until I would start med school... What should I do to gain experience/acceptance?

Thank you so much! <3


Other details: 26, MCAT: 506, GPA: 3.42, Biochemistry BSc (premed), applied MD twice (too late applying 1st time, incorrect residency f*ed up the 2nd time), currently living and working in Thailand as conservation field staff for a voluntourism company (glorified unpaid adventure guide).

If this is your real picture you should change it!

 

[Ad2b]

If this is your real picture you should change it!

there's another one on here with her thongatard on, butt cheeks hanging out everywhere; suggested she change it... nope, still there, months later

 

[gyngyn]

Closing cross posted thread.