Wilderness Medicine

[Pinner Doc]

Can anyone comment on the wilderness medicine aspect of EM? Stanford U is offering a fellowship in this field, and I'm wondering if other programs will follow suit until this subspecialty is officially accredited (along the lines of Underwater and Hyperbaric EM, Sports EM, etc).

I ask because I am interested in pursuing an EM career in a site near a wilderness area (Colorado, Utah, pacific NW, etc), or a career affiliated with NOLS, the National Ski Patrol, etc.

I was lucky enough to be accepted to do a rotation at the Big Sky Clinic in Big Sky, MT (www.docsky.us) for next January... anyone else have experience at this site? Anyone else going next year?

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[southerndoc]

Stanford has offered that fellowship for almost 10 years. There is one other hospital that offers the fellowship, and I cannot remember which one. I stumbled upon it while searching for fellowships in another area. It appears that there isn't much desire for a wilderness fellowship to support developing a bunch of fellowships around the nation.

It all boils down to supply and demand.

Besides, I think the Stanford program has Auerbach, who is the God of EM/wilderness medicine.

 

[Pinner Doc]

Thanks! Couple of other questions:

1) How competitive is the fellowship through Stanford? Do interested parties generally get accepted, given they are qualified?

2) What would be the difference in going through the fellowship training at Stanford, vs. certified in wilderness medical care through a brief program sponsored by the WMS or similar? Does the fellowship open a lot more doors?

Thanks all...

 

[southerndoc]

Have you contacted the fellowship director at Stanford?

 

[Pinner Doc]

I haven't-- I'm only an m3, so it would definitely be premature at this point. I just was hoping to get a better understanding of the opportunities in the field.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Basically (and this is just from what I've heard and experienced through my membership with the WMS- I'm still an undergraduate) most of the "wilderness med" docs don't do it for pay- at least not as their primary job. So I think you're concerns about it affecting your "opportunities" are unfounded. The fellowship seems to be something that people pursue only if it truly interests them, not to improve their chances of being hired somewhere (as I don't believe there are many paid full-time positions out there for this).

 

[deleted109597]

Fellowships=Academics.
Pretty much anything you can do with a fellowship you can do without somewhere out there (Except maybe HBO, possibly critical care). But you can work at Yellowstone without the Wilderness one. You can be an EMS director without that fellowship. You can work pediatric patients without the peds/EM fellow (but probably not at a children's hospital). It all comes down to what you want to do with it. It will make you a more marketable faculty member, and you will certainly be more educated. But it won't help you in community practice generally.

 

[matt_mt19]

A few little mentions on my part -- traditional wilderness medicine is big at the Utah program - interviewed with several who are crazy interested in that sort of thing and look forward to working out there.

Also something you may consider -- if you by "wilderness" medicine you consider "tropical" medicine inclusive there are programs out there with tropical or international medicine tracks. I am particularly interested in the track at Hennepin County in Minneapolis.

 

[southerndoc]

Fellowships=Academics.
Pretty much anything you can do with a fellowship you can do without somewhere out there (Except maybe HBO, possibly critical care). But you can work at Yellowstone without the Wilderness one. You can be an EMS director without that fellowship. You can work pediatric patients without the peds/EM fellow (but probably not at a children's hospital). It all comes down to what you want to do with it. It will make you a more marketable faculty member, and you will certainly be more educated. But it won't help you in community practice generally.

Right. We are many years away before fellowships are required to do EMS, ultrasound, etc. in rural settings. We might not ever see those years.

Fellowships are pretty much for those academically oriented.

 

[augmel]

I've heard that the UCSF Fresno residents have a rotation staffing an ER at Yosemite and get some experience there.

 

[diamondbum]

U of Utah is beginning a fellowship in Wilderness Medicine this year. I honestly can't think of a better setting to have it in. I had the opportunity to do the WMS AWLS course last year, and most of the instructors were faculty at Utah.

 

[141837]

Hey Pinner,

I'll be leaving Big Sky when you're due. I'll "suggest" to you the stashes that I'm able to lay it down in... for a price, of course

Excited just a tad, perhaps?

Pls PM me, let's yap. I'm on my way West for the year in August (and prob snagging a set of Scottybob Fat Bastards... when in Rome!)

Take care and peace.

ps- East coast-wise you may wish to look at Maine Med in Portland; a few attendings heavily involved with wilderness med (Saucier, Drummond, et al), even sending residents to the SOLO base in NH for courses annually. Also heard that WVU is ramping up wilderness content. Albany, Baystate and Geisinger are others that may interest you out here, if only for geography presently...

 

[skowly]

Wait, I was a 'troller at Big Sky this winter. If you need any beta on the area, let me know.

 

[141837]

Lol... ok then, so where may the sleeper chutes be!?!

You get up to Bridger often, and meet up with Fay Johnson, their director? Buddy-o-mine.

Thanks, I'll PM you. Much appreciated!

 

[rainwoman]

Hey Pinner Doc,

I'm desparate to make sure I get into the Big Sky rotation. Only an MS2, but I know its competitive. Any advice to get in? I've been a patroller for three years, done lots of wilderness med stuff, guide, etc. Here's hoping. I'd be happy to ski for a month during fourth year and work at an on-hill clinic. Thanks.

 

[deleted6669]

wilderness medicine is not the sole domain of em at this point. there are also a few fp residencies that offer a wilderness medicine focus but no official fellowship track..
http://www.mfmr.org/wilderness_medicine_track.php
http://www.fammed.washington.edu/network/sfm/aoc.htm

there is a wilderness track in maine as well but their site is down right now.

 

[141837]

Hey rainwoman,

See Pinner's link on post #1? Perfect time to fill out Dr. Daniels' application.

Good luck!

ps- Thanks emedpa, here's the Maine site (Central Maine Med in Lewiston);
http://www.cmmc.org/emp-wmt.html
http://www.geocities.com/teb133/index.html