Wilderness Medical Society
Medical Conference and Annual Meeting
Snowmass, Colorado - July 23-28, 2010

ACTIVITIES & INFORMATION

BANQUET, ANNUAL AWARDS, WMS Response in HAITI
In conjuction with this year's banquet, we will announce the winners of several awards
and Dr. Paul Auerbach will give a presentation about his recent Haiti experience
(see "WMS Response in Haiti" below).

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Abstracts are being accepted for the Annual Meeting. Abstract presentations will feature original research covering the spectrum of wilderness medicine. The opportunity to learn about new approaches, advances in medical technology, and epidemiologic studies is unique. Abstracts for oral and poster presentations are invited and are peer-reviewed. Abstract application forms are available online at wms.org under “Research” and then
“Abstract Submission.” The deadline for submission is June 15, 2010. All accepted abstracts will be considered for publication in the Society’s journal, Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.

CLIMB A FOURTEENER
On Wednesday, July 28th at 5AM we will meet up and depart the hotel for a continental breakfast at the CASTLE PEAK trailhead.  Various snacks and energy bars will be provided for the climb. Sturdy footwear and day packs for food, water and extra clothing are strongly recommended.

Climbers will receive a pledge form to solicit support from other conference attendees - either by pledge per-foot-climbed or simple amount.  Pledges can be designated toward our new Humanitarian Relief Grant or toward general research.  WMS staff will collect pledged amounts after the conference.

 


FREE TIME – DON’T FORGET TO SCHEDULE IT!
This five-day program is jam-packed with educational sessions and opportunities to get involved with the Wilderness Medical Society. Based on last year’s evaluations where you requested more scheduled free time, we think it is important to remind you that it is your responsibility to schedule it. It’s there for the taking! You are encouraged to take off at least a half-day to hike, bike, fish or do whatever brings you joy. Remember that, “It’s the space between the notes that makes the music.”

HUMANITARIAN RELIEF GRANT
In 2010, the WMS Board agreed to establish a self-funded grant to provide support for WMS Members involved with humanitarian relief efforts such as those recently in Haiti. At this conference, several activities such as a silent auction, a fourteener climb, and movie night will raise funds for this new grant.

SAVE THE DATE!
WMS Travel, Dive & Marine Medicine Conference, Oct 30 - Nov 3, 2010 The Westin Ka'anapali Resort & Spa, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
Conference details and registration information will be posted to the website – wms.org – in May. A dive certification course will be offered.

 

WMS FILM NIGHT
Wed, July 28 – 6:00 pm
$10 – popcorn & soda
Join us after on our final evening and let’s go to the movies and help our new Humanitarian Relief Fund! We will be showing a movie: Endurance: Shakleton’s Legendary Antarctic Adventure. All proceeds from soda and popcorn sales will go directly to this fund.

 

WELCOME RECEPTION & T-SHIRT EXCHANGE, BAND
Sat, July 24 – 7:30-9:30pm
Nothing warms a group more than food and music. Enjoy food, beverage and the music of John Sommers (from the Heart of the Rockies). Have fun with the T-Shirt exchange, a great way to get acquainted. Here’s how it works … Bring a new T-Shirt (S, M, L, or XL) advertising your city, town, 10K race, last exotic place you visited or whatever you choose. You will turn it in at the Conference Registration Desk when you check-in. You will be given a coupon to redeem a shirt of the same size at the reception. The real fun starts when the trading begins!



WMS Response in HAITI
On January 12, 2010 an earthquake devastated Haiti. A few days later, a team of emergency physicians and nurses from Stanford University Hospital under the auspices of International Medical Corps arrived at the university hospital in Port-au-Prince. Doctors Paul Auerbach and Anil Menon were part of the team from Stanford, and Dr. James Geiling and a team of nurses arrived soon thereafter from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Auerbach, Menon and Geiling will describe the situation in Haiti, their activities during first two weeks after the earthquake, and how their wilderness medicine training helped prepare them to be able to respond to an international disaster.

A Silent Auction will be held in conjuction with the Banquet to raise funds for our new Humanitarian Relief Fund. If you have any items you would like to donate to the auction, please describe them in an email.

We know that many of our members have responded to the Haiti earthquake in various ways.  WMS would like to compile and present stories related to your experiences on a dedicated page at wms.org.  Whether you helped from home or on the streets of Haiti, please email your stories to haiti@wms.org.  Submissions should be 500 words or less and include no more than three pictures.