Table of Contents - WMS SIG Manual (v.5/1/05/ag)

Chapter 1:   Student Introduction to the Wilderness Medical Society

A. Introduction

1. WHAT is the Wilderness Medical Society?

2. WHO is the Wilderness Medical Society?

• Demographics

• WMS Governing Structure

• Student Interest Groups Governing Structure

3. WHY Does WMS Promote Student Interest Groups at all?

Chapter 2:   Starting a New Student Interest Group

A. Application and Signed Charter: Getting Formal Recognition from WMS and your School

1. Registering your SIG with WMS

• SIG status and benefits

• Student Membership Sub-types:   Individual vs. SIG-affiliated

• Registration/Re-registration deadlines

2. Student affairs and University approval

3. Official recognition

4. Constitution & by-laws

5. Insurance & liability

B. C. Defining Your Group's Niche on Campus

1. Finding an identity: Don't have a crisis!

2. Know your school and your target population

3. Similar groups on campus

D. Faculty Adviser

1. Finding an adviser

2. Defining the role of the adviser

E. Officers and Leadership Planning

1. Defining the role of the student leader(s)

2. More officers?

3. Passing on the reins

F. Setting Up Shop

1. Group desk

2. Campus office space

G. Finances

1. Other campus resources

2. Other community resources

Chapter 3:   Programming & Events  

A. The All-important "Survey"

B. Lectures

C. Workshops/scenario practice

D. Outings

E. Community service

F. Educational tables

G. Symposia/retreats

Chapter 4:   Publicity

A. Start-of-the-Year Publicity Table

B. E-mail

C. Flyers

D. Student Newspaper

E. Class Announcements

F. Local Outing Stores

Chapter 5:   Funding       

A. School Funding

B. Self-funding/Fundraising

C. Community Funding: Professional Organizations, Civic Groups, Retailers

D. Pharmaceutical Representatives

E. Funding-in-Kind: Donations of Food, Supplies, Time, or Manpower

Chapter 6:   Getting Volunteers (Distributing the Pack Weight)

A. YOU Jump the First Hurdle

B. Demo/Display Table beginning of year

C. Identify Your Target Group's Interests

D. Sign-in Sheets

E. Timing Your Events

F. Incentives

G. Don't Forget to "Groom"

H. Publicity

I. Mini-Deadlines

J. Planning Meetings

Chapter 7:   Research Opportunities

Appendices

Appendix A : WMS Student Group Liability and Insurance Coverage

Appendix B: Sample Mission Statement and Constitution/By-Laws

Appendix C: (see Word file): Sample Wilderness Medical Society Student Survey

Appendix D: (see Forms page) SIG Registration Forms

Appendix E: (see Forms page) Letter of Approval

Chapter 1:   Student Introduction to the Wilderness Medical Society

A.   Introduction

         Pre-test for the reader of the Student Manual, Question 1:

A compass is to a topographical map as this Student Manual is to:

         1. Studying pathophysiology in a blissful trance.

         2. Taking your pet ferret for a walk instead of taking Boards.

         3. Performing a psychiatric evaluation on a slime mold.

         4. Organizing/participating in a WMS Student Interest Group.

Now that you've taken your ferret for that walk, the students writing this manual are excited to share with you a wealth of information about starting and running Student Interest Groups (SIG) of the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS). We have written this manual based on the experiences of organizing groups on our own campuses, and on the collective input students from around the United States who attended the last several WMS Student Round Tables, 2002-2004. We hope you find the manual light enough to be readable, yet informative enough to be useful.

The remaining pages of this chapter are intended to give you an overview of what WMS does and the role students play in the national organization.

1.   WHAT is the Wilderness Medical Society?

The WMS is a non-profit educational organization composed not only of some of the world's foremost academic and field-based authorities on wilderness medical issues, but of health care professionals (physicians, nurses, EMTS, etc.) who advise and treat patients who pursue activities in the outdoors. It is also composed of non-health professionals (search and rescue, outing guides, outdoor programmers, outdoor enthusiasts) who want to learn about handling health-related issues as they pertain to outdoor or remote settings.

         Pre-test, Question 2:

                  The purpose of the Wilderness Medical Society is (choose one):

1. To explore new universes, seek out new life, and boldly go where no one has gone before.

2. To encourage, foster, support or conduct activities or programs concerned with life sciences that can improve the scientific knowledge of the membership and the general public in matters related to wilderness environments and human activities in these environments.

The mission of the Wilderness Medical Society is to establish an organization composed of qualified physicians, allied health specialists and other qualified individuals that will concern itself with matters related to wilderness medicine and the benefits, health, safety and medical care of the individual in the wilderness.   Membership in the WMS is a tremendous opportunity for students to become active participants in a worldwide, professional medical organization.  

2.   WHO is the Wilderness Medical Society?

a. Some demographics (as of 2004) of the WMS membership are as follows:

         Size: 2800 members

         Student Groups: 43 total, including U.S., UK, Canada, New Zealand.

         Members:

                  M.D.s/D.O.s/Ph.D.s:

                  Nurses, PAs, EMTs:

                  Students:

b. WMS Governing Structure:

For those who want to understand the WMS governing structure and where/how students fit into the bigger picture, we provide the following hierarchy, but also refer you to the WMS web page, http://www.wms.org/.

1 includes National Student Representative.

2 oversees Student Interest Groups.

3 students may join the WMS either as individuals or through an active Student Interest Group.   See Chapter 2 for more information.

c. Student Interest Groups Governing Structure:

Responsibilities of the Student Interest Group national leadership are shared among the appointed leaders of the following divisions:

• Electives Committee

• Membership Committee

• Research Committee

• Website Committee

• Leadership Committee (composed of National Representative, Associate Representative, and leaders of above committees).

The interests of the Leadership Committee and of all the Student Interest Groups are represented in the official WMS governing structure by the National Student Representative and Assistant Student Representative, who report both to the Student Services Committee and directly to the Board of Directors.   The Representative position is a rolling-over elected position in which the Representative starts as the Associate Student Representative and then becomes the National Student Representative, sitting on the WMS Board of Directors as a voting member.   The position is a commitment that lasts from election until graduation from medical school (most reps are elected in their MS3 year, making it a total 2 year commitment). Elections for the student representative are held yearly, and all WMS student members are encouraged to submit an application. The National Student Representative acts as a liaison between the WMS and the SIGs, and is responsible for:

• 1. Serving as an adviser to SIGs on issues such as programming, membership, student policies, and establishment of new SIGs.

• 2. Serving as a voice of the SIGs to convey student-specific issues and needs to the WMS leadership.

• 3. Assuring that the Student Manual, the SIG website, and other official literature are available, appropriate, and updated for students.

• 4. Promoting student membership through distribution of WMS publicity materials.

• 5. Establishing and maintaining a list of medical professionals interested in serving as local advisers to SIGs.

• 6. Assisting in the dissemination of educational materials and financial support from WMS for SIGs, as available.

• 7. Reporting progress in the above areas to the Board of Directors.

All students are encouraged to contact the student representative with any questions or concerns.   This student’s email address will always be available from the WMS web page and office.

D. WHY Does WMS Promote Student Interest Groups at All?

What does primate grooming behavior have to do with WMS and the SIGs? They share the implied concept of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." Both parties benefit by giving to each other.

1 Unfortunately, SIG start-up grants are no longer available through the WMS, due to financial constraints (as of 2001).   Most medical schools offer funding to officially registered schools, however.   See “Starting a new Student Interest Group” below for more information.   As of Fall 2004, WMS table drapes are also unavailable.

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Chapter 2:   Starting a New Student Interest Group

A. Application and Signed Charter: Getting Formal Recognition for your SIG

1. Registering your SIG with the WMS

The first step in obtaining formal recognition for your new SIG is completing and submitting an application to the WMS office. This application is found in the appendix and online at the WMS student website: (http://wms.org/studentgroups/sig_web_site/NewmembersSIGs/NewSIG.htm).

• The SIG Registration Form

• Student Membership Forms or Membership Roster

• Letter of Approval

These forms are meant to be self-explanatory and streamlined, but of course nothing is perfect, and all SIG leaders are invited to contact the Student Representative with any questions.

         a. SIG status and benefits

         There are three tiers of SIG membership: Active SIGs, Inactive SIGs and Pending SIGs.

Active SIGs will be required to have a minimum of 5 members in the interest group who each contribute annual membership dues to the WMS, currently $20.  All students who are members of SIGs are not required to join the WMS and pay the annual dues, but becoming a member of the WMS is highly encouraged.

Active SIGs will receive the following benefits: A free hardcopy subscription to the journal: Wilderness and Environmental Medicine , the peer-reviewed publication of the WMS; a free subscription to the Wilderness Medicine newsletter for each member; significant discounts to WMS conferences and Student Round Tables; free loans of educational lecture series (slide sets or CDs), and WMS store discounts.

In addition to having a minimum of 5 WMS members per year, active SIGs will also be required to update the WMS on a yearly basis with contact information for the SIG Leader and one alternate SIG member.  Due to the time demands and variable schedules of upperclassmen, it is recommended that at least one of these individuals be a 1st or 2nd year student.

Inactive SIGs are groups who are unable to meet the 5 WMS member minimum per year or fail to complete the annual renewal process will become Inactive SIGs. Inactive SIGs will lose all Active SIG benefits.  Inactive SIGs will still receive e-mails regarding WMS events for the year and, if the group decides to meet the requirements for active status, it will be easy to transition to the active tier.

Pending SIGs represent all of the groups that are in the process of either applying or becoming Active SIGs.

b. Student Membership Sub-types:   Individual vs. SIG-affiliated

Students can officially join the WMS by paying dues in two different categories:

Individual:   Any student in a health-related educational field can make application to the WMS for membership.   The current yearly dues are $75.   Applications are available directly from the WMS website ( www.wms.org ) and can be filled out and paid online.   This is a way that students at schools without a SIG can still be part of the Society. Benefits of Individual student membership are:

• A hardcopy subscription to Wilderness and Environmental Medicine , the Peer reviewed journal published quarterly by the WMS.

• Wilderness Medicine Letter : A quarterly newsletter describing the activities of the society and additional wilderness medicine features.

• WMS Practice Guidelines:  Official statements of the WMS related to best methods of handling wilderness related trauma, illness, or environmental injury.

• Discounts on WMS gear, books and conference fees.

• Access to the WMS website.

SIG-affiliated:   Any registered medical student who is a member of a SIG can join the WMS and pay a discounted yearly dues rate (currently $20).   Applications are available on the WMS student website and are submitted together when a SIG registers or re-registers for active status.   Benefits of SIG student membership are:

• One hardcopy subscription to Wilderness and Environmental Medicine . This subscription will be sent to the SIG leader, who is expected to make it available to all members.

• Wilderness Medicine Newsletter: Each dues paying member of the SIG will receive their own copy of the newsletter.

• WMS Practice Guidelines:  Each dues paying member of the SIG will receive their own copy of the Practice Guidelines .

• Discounts on WMS gear and books.

• Active S IG members may attend the annual WMS Summer conference and Student Round Table at a reduced rate (currently $195). As of May 1st, 2005, the WMS is no longer able to subsidize conference fees for SIG members (i.e., no fee waivers are available). We hope the waiver will be reinstituted in the near future - please contact the Student Representative with any questions at wmsstudentrep@wms.org.

• Access to the WMS website.  One login/password will be provided for all members to use.

• Continuation of the yearly $20 dues into residency, if continuous membership is maintained.

c. Registration/Re-registration deadlines

The deadline for registering with the WMS office is November 1 of every year, whether your group is registering for the first time or is re-registering for the year.   This policy has been instituted to allow for better tracking of SIG activities and to provide continuity in SIG leadership.   SIGs who miss the deadline will lose privileges of an Active SIG (become Inactive) until all requirements are met.

2. Student Affairs and University Approval

First and foremost, identify the student affairs division of your school. This is usually a sub-department within the school's administration (medical and/or undergraduate) and may or may not be affiliated with the office of the school's dean. Student Affairs often regulates the process of official recognition for student groups. There may be procedures and paper work that must be completed before any recognition will be given - find out about these early as there may be deadlines for application! Many schools will not provide funding to unofficially recognized student groups, thus it is imperative to maintain contact with this department. If your school does not have a student affairs division, contact the office of the dean for your school and ask them if you need official recognition to form a student group. They should be able to help you proceed with your development from there. For better or worse, formal recognition is quite important for liability purposes (see Appendix A), so please don't take shortcuts here.

3. Official Recognition

WMS requires official recognition of groups by each school. In order to be recognized as a WMS SIG, you must turn in the “Letter of Approval” found in the appendix or online at the WMS student website. This form must be completed by your Dean of Student Affairs or similar school authority – recognition by the WMS will not occur without it.

4. Constitution/By-Laws

Some schools require a constitution or set of by-laws for a group to become officially recognized. See Appendix B for a sample. If you are not required to have one, you are encouraged to yodel with glee.

5. Insurance/Liability

Please see Appendix A. There is a generous list of acceptable activities, but a few are outside the limits of WMS's liability coverage. PLEASE REVIEW THEM

B. Defining Your Group's Niche On Campus

1. Finding an Identity: Don't have a crisis!

It's easy to joke about this statement, but the most fundamental issue your new group faces is justifying its presence on campus when so many other, similar groups may exist. Beginning a new student interest group can be a very gratifying experience, as well as extremely frustrating. Success and longevity of a student group demands organization, not just in the leadership, but also in the initial stages of development.

One must determine from the outset what the group's identity will be, that is - who are you?   The identity of your student chapter can range from an educational group focused on didactic instruction of wilderness medicine to an activity group incorporating the understanding and practice of wilderness medicine techniques in their true environment. What you do is up to you, as long as wilderness medicine is an integral part of your existence. Determining this aspect of the group can be very difficult, especially if organizers all have different concepts of the group's identity. Discuss options and opportunities before beginning your organization and learn to be flexible!

2. Know your school and your target population

It is easy to determine the population interest for your group: will it be medical students only, health-related professions, or the general student body? Keep in mind that as knowledge of your group spreads, students in other programs or populations may want to participate. It is important to decide on your population's interests early, because it will help you in determining the size of the group, number of officers or positions needed, advertising, finances, etc.   If you don't know who you are targeting (or who attends), you can't get the information to them! Moreover, knowing your population's interests is critical in determining your activities. A population of medical students may not have the free time or funds to go on weekend excursions into the wilderness, whereas a general student population may feel overwhelmed by a lecture series on the physiological effects of high altitude.

One of the most valuable aspects of being a student interest group of the WMS is the vast amount of information you can provide about wilderness medicine. How you provide it (hands-on vs. lecture vs. literature) is one of the ways you can make your student group stand apart from others at your school. If people enjoy your group and gain from it, they will continue to attend activities and perpetuate your existence. If you alienate your audience (beware of the evil specter of boredom) your attendance will fall and the student chapter will most likely dissipate. This may not seem to be an issue right now, but consider the big picture: your position as a student chapter of the Wilderness Medical Society provides WMS with access to your population group, that can lead to increasing membership in WMS, which can lead to an increase in fundraising, which may eventually lead to increased student group benefits and the cycle continues! If your population falters due to a lack of interest, the cycle stops abruptly.

Thus, with this in mind, take the time in the planning phase to really think this through:

a. Choose a population you can communicate with and a group size you can manage effectively. Plan for the future, knowing you will be handing over the group to other leaders at some later date.

b. Determine how to maintain that group (monthly newsletters, weekly meetings, etc.)

c. Be accessible to that population (organizational e-mail address, suggestion box, etc.). As your population changes, your group's needs and/or identity may change as well!

3. Similar Groups on Campus

When other groups exist on campus -such as outing groups, emergency medicine groups, or environmental clubs - it is most important to identify your group's unique niche; otherwise, it may be difficult for your school's administration or funders to justify your existence. This means in some cases you must go with your strength: medical education. However, there is no reason you can not collaborate with similar groups. Although initially you may see a student group with a similar interest as competition, they may very well become your best ally!

Finding out if there is a student group with similar interests is important for several reasons:

1. They may already have the population with which you are seeking to interact;

2. They may be interested in combining with your group for official recognition by the WMS;

3. They may be interested in collaborating on big projects such as conferences, seminars, clinics, outings, etc., thereby increasing both groups' visibility;

4. They may be a potential source of funding, manpower, or resources.

The main reason to search for similar groups is to make sure the supply does not exceed the demand. In this way, honing your group's identity may fulfill a deficit in local student activity opportunities. For example, an outing club may provide the opportunities to travel in wilderness environments, whereas the wilderness medicine club can provide education and training for identifying and managing medical issues in the wilderness environment. Other collaborative ideas include sharing a lecture, or having dual speakers talk on the same subject from each group's perspective. In general, it's better to have allies than enemies!

C. Faculty Adviser

1. Finding an adviser

Every WMS student group must have an adviser. Some schools require that student groups have advisers within their department (e.g. medical faculty for medical student groups). Contacting faculty within your school and assessing their interest may lead you to find a WMS member hiding in the ranks! A faculty advisor is only helpful if they are interested in the subject matter of the group. Moreover, identifying faculty members with interest in the outdoors may lead to potential members for the WMS. Here are some ideas for finding an advisor for your group:

1. Obtain a speaker/adviser search list of WMS members near your school. This information is available through the WMS national office.   Contact the National Student Representative to access this list.

2. Academic/medical departments: emergency medicine, sports medicine, rural medicine, hyperbaric medicine, physiology, pulmonary medicine.

3. Post flyers, e-mail faculty, or place a notice in a faculty newsletter.

4. Local outdoor stores/organizations - Find out who they have used for local instruction/recreational talks. Frequently, these instructors may have appointments at your school.

2. Defining the role of the adviser

The adviser may provide long-term direction for the group and is essential for continuity of a group whose members change from year to year. The adviser often sees the "big picture" and can help the group with long-range goals, as well as navigating any bureaucratic hoops at your university. Moreover, they may be in touch with medical resources and other faculty members who might serve as speakers. Often, if nothing else, they can point you in the right direction or get you in the door. When approaching prospective advisers, we suggest that you inform them that they may be as involved or uninvolved in the day-to-day operations as they want - or as your group may need. Think through particular assistance needs your group may have along the way, and be prepared to discuss these needs with the potential adviser. Some faculty members are too busy while others may thrive on the opportunity to interact with students. It is to your group's advantage to find the latter, but you may opt for the former if you are having difficulty finding anyone. The one thing the adviser should agree to do is to be a contact person for WMS during times of student leadership changes, and to make sure they remain appraised of these changes as they occur.

D. Officers and Leadership Planning

The consensus reached at the 1999 Tremont Student Round Table was that the governance of each SIG should consist solely of 1 or 2 student (co)-leader(s). Although this consensus is not a rule, it was found most effective among the various experiences presented by the SIG leaders in attendance.   Subsequent Round Table participants have echoed these recommendations.

1. Defining the role of the student leader(s)

Whether you decide to call your leaders Presidents or Co-conspirators is up to you. A ship doesn't sail if there isn't a captain at the helm. The role of the student leader should be one of an organizer, a promoter, a dispute-settler, the initiator, the listener, and the contact person. The leaders of the SIG need to be the principal contacts for WMS, and keep WMS informed of relevant changes. In this way, your SIG and WMS can pass along information in a simplified, straightforward manner.

2. More officers?

If your SIG's population is looking to be quite large or if you happen to have a whole troop of really gung-ho people, you may need more than 1or 2 officers. Someone to maintain funds, records, activities, and promotions are examples. Often new positions arise as needed. Your initial panel of 2 or 3 may blossom into a court of 12 - be careful! See Appendix B for some examples of additional offices if they are needed. Rather than have multiple officer positions, however, we suggest you enlist several people to lead a committee or group of volunteers in such categories as: Programming; Fundraising; Publicity; Outings. Have one committee chair who spearheads each effort and who reports to the (co)-leader(s).

3. Passing on the reins

Seems like a simple task, doesn't it? The importance of replacing officers and notifying WMS about the new contacts/officers cannot be over emphasized. Do not wait until the last week of classes to pass the torch to the first person you see. You should begin scouting for potential torchbearers throughout the school year. At the same time, include the active volunteers in roles of increasing responsibility. The continuity of the SIG relies on dependable future leaders. If no new officers are established and the old officers move on to other obligations, the SIG will more than likely falter. If it looks like this my happen to your SIG, contact the Student Representative to let them know, or ask for help. New leaders must be identified, along with other contact information updated, every November.   If no one steps up to take on the group leadership, please take the time to let WMS know that the group is remiss.

E. Setting Up Shop

1. Office Space

a. Group Desk

Group visibility engenders group viability! It may sound trite, but it's very effective. Something like a WMS student group desk in a high visibility area gives members a place to meet, to leave notes for the student leader, and actually improves the group's chances for viability when the leadership changes. To this end, see if you can set up such a desk in an area frequented by your student members such as a student lounge or another high-traffic area.

b. Campus Office Space

Many undergraduate schools will have a student union or some facility for all of the student groups campus-wide. They can provide your group with meeting space, office space, advertisements, etc., often free of charge to official student groups of the university. This is especially important if you want to reach large numbers of students in programs throughout the campus.

F. Finances

1. School of Medicine

The first stop on your search for group funding should be your very own Dean’s office.   Most schools make funds available to officially registered student groups … find this out early, when you first register your group.   Some new groups may not be given much in the way of funding – they may have to prove themselves viable first. Some groups have also started under the auspices of another group (the Emergency Medicine group, for example), then spread their wings from there.

2. Other campus resources

a. Student Unions can also help with establishing financial accounts for your group (much better than a shoe box at somebody's house!). Funding opportunities as well as the opportunity to meet other groups (i.e. collaboration for big projects) may be available as well.

b. Communications Departments - Group e-mail address, list-serve service for your members, and/or web page.

c. Libraries - shelf space for displaying wilderness medicine texts and journals.

d. Offices of Planning and Development - space for lectures or seminars.

e. "Friendly Departments" - Departments who have agendas overlapping with your educational programming may allow photocopying of flyers at a reduced cost.

3. Other community resources

Just as you may want to search the community for potential speakers (see Chapter 3 on programming) you may want to search the community for ways to publicize your existence. You may find community members not only eager to participate and/or give lectures, but some may be excellent resources for materials for use or to borrow, for activity planning, or just for general support of a struggling student group!

Summary

Hopefully, the information and suggestions given in this chapter will help with the initiation of your group. It may seem like a daunting task, but the more planning and development you do ahead of time, the more prepared you will be for any obstacles in the future. These are just suggestions and may not apply to your school and/or situation. The best advice is to find out what is expected of the student group before the student group is actually formed. The most exciting parts of this whole process, however, are the contacts you will make as you find your way. You will be known as the "local wilderness" person, and eventually, people will seek you out for your experience! Enjoy!

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Chapter 3:   Programming & Events

If you feel coming up with interesting programming that will result in good attendance is one of those tricky areas, you're not alone. This is why we're describing, in this chapter, various programming ideas that have been successful on several campuses.

Remember, at every event, utilize a sign-in sheet for people to put down their names, e-mail addresses, or other information. This accomplishes two things:

1. It gives you attendee information to directly publicize your activities,

2. It allows you to estimate the number and demographics of those in attendance. These become important figures to have if you are applying for funding.

A. The All-Important "Survey"

While many possible programming ideas are discussed below, the best way to gauge your programming strategy is to identify the interests of the students in your group with some kind of survey. These surveys should be completed at the beginning of the year or at the first event held by your group. The surveys can ask for lecture ideas, outing interests, officer interests, etc. The appendix contains a sample student survey.   Feel free to use it or modify it as you need.

Another excellent resource to use for topic ideas are the WMS conference brochures. Look through any conference schedule, and you'll likely find a topic for which there is a speaker at your school.

Finally, there is a message board on the WMS Student Web Page available for you to post your events (http://wms.org/studentgroups/sig_web_site/Messageboards/yabb.pl), so   that nearby student groups who may be interested in attending can learn of them.

B. Lectures

Lunchtime lectures tend to be a great way to provide information to a large number of members in a short amount of time. If funds are available, offering lunch tends to draw larger crowds. If you can't regularly fund lunch or food, consider doing so at your first event to draw interest to your group early on. Similarly, depending on your class schedule, dinner lectures may be easier, and they also offer the opportunity to make the event a bit more elaborate, particularly if your lecturer is in from out of town. Lecturers can come from all over your community. Until you have built up a list of speakers, the hardest part may be finding them. Possible lecturers include:

a. Faculty:   talk to professors and physicians at the school to see if they have any specialties on which they can speak or prepare a lecture. Contact departments such as Emergency Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Physiology, Hyperbaric Medicine, Rural Medicine, Orthopedics, or Sports Medicine to see if these departments have any faculty with outdoor interests/experience.

b. WMS Members:   WMS will help provide student groups with local member's names, addresses, and phone numbers.   Contact the Student Representative for more information.

c. ROTC:   many universities have a branch of the armed forces on campus. The officers associated with your ROTC program may offer lectures on field survival, search and rescue, field sanitation, and other pertinent topics.

d. Residents:   talk to your own residents; they are often an excellent resource.

e. Students:   students can present on personal treks or areas of expertise.  

f. Slide Sets or PowerPoint Presentations:   WMS will loan PowerPoint presentations or slide sets free of charge to student groups. These come with a working narrative that can be read with the presentation or used as background information for the lecturer. These presentation sets can be incorporated into other presenters' lectures as well. Contact the Student Representative for more information.

g. Community Members:   find local community members who have knowledge or experience in wilderness medicine. Examples include local search and rescue crews, forest service employees, wilderness first responders, etc.

h. Local Organizations:   outdoor trek companies or businesses can provide useful information to groups and present small group lectures.

i. Naturalists:   local parks often have naturalists on staff who can talk on wild edible/medicinal plants, animal behavior/attacks, venomous bites/stings.

Possible lecture topic ideas include, but are not limited to:

Accidental Hypothermia

Animal Attacks

Biodiversity and Human Health

Dehydration/Heat Stroke

Diarrhea from Wilderness and Foreign Travel

Edible/Medicinal Plants

Field Water Disinfection

First Aid Kit Essentials

Frostbite and other Cold Injuries

Handicapped Wilderness Pursuits

Hazardous Marine Life

High Altitude Medicine

Hyperbaric/SCUBA Medicine

Lightning Strikes

Lyme Disease

Orthopedic Trauma in the Wilderness

Search and Rescue

Setting up/running a clinic (Ski Resort, remote Himalayan clinic, etc.)

3rd World/Travel Medicine

Venomous Snake Bite Management

Water Rescue

Wilderness Dermatology

Wilderness survival (Winter, desert, or other special conditions)

*Many of these topics are available as slide sets from the WMS.

C. Workshops/Scenario Practice

Hands-on workshops are a great way to teach members and keep them actively involved in your group. Workshops can follow a lecture or be isolated activities. Examples include:

CPR/ACLS/PCLS

Wound Care

Splinting

Water Purification

Water Safety

Orthopedic Manipulation

Preparing a First Aid Kit

Using a Gamow Bag

Search, Rescue, and Evacuation

Visiting a Hyperbaric Chamber

Medical departments or drug representatives can often sponsor these workshops and/or provide supplies. Extended workshops for certification purposes such as SCUBA, Wilderness First Responder, or Wilderness First Aid, are also possibilities.

D. Outings

Outings can be something as simple as a picnic to a week-long trip. Your group will need to evaluate its role on campus to consider if it will include outings as group functions. The student group can plan outings or the group can act as a liaison in getting interested people together.

Day outings can include canoeing, hiking, climbing wall, picnic, ropes course, or skiing, to name a few. Remember, outings can also be educational by including a training or informational session. For example, you could go for a day hike with a botanist who can discuss the different vegetation in the area. Overnight trips are more involved and take a lot of coordinating, but can be motivating for your group and/or a great form of post-exam decompression. Again, combine outdoor interests with education by doing anything from a hands-on project to having a presenter accompany your group and lead a discussion around the campfire at night.

E. Community Service

Community service is an excellent way to give back. Ideas include Earth Day park clean-up, trail maintenance, teaching kids about medicine and/or the wilderness, or charity fundraisers that may sponsor teams in races, tent set-up, splinting, canoe portaging and so on.

F. Educational Tables

Part of the Society's goal is to educate. As medical or health professional students, we can share the basics with the general public. Setting up a table at fairs, expos, or other outdoor programs can be a great way to educate people on simple concepts such as "First Aid Kit Essentials," "Getting Lost in the Woods," "Burn Management," "Wilderness Health Concerns of Children," etc. With your advisor's input, make flyers you can hand out on these subjects. This information will dramatically increase interest in your group and in the WMS among community members.

G. Symposia/Retreats

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