WMS BreckWild Student Elective

BreckWild 2025 Lottery is now open! To enter the lottery for the 2025 BreckWild elective, PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM:  BreckWild 2025 Lottery 

The lottery will close Tuesday May 21st, 2024 at 8am EST.

 Who

The WMS Elective is designed for fourth year medical students. Participants must be enrolled in a program at an accredited or internationally recognized allopathic or osteopathic medical school in the US and abroad. Students must be proficient in English in order to qualify for consideration.

When
Monday April 14th- Saturday May 10th, 2025

What
This elective provides four weeks of instruction including:

• Formal lectures of Wilderness Medicine principles and specific topics by leaders in the field.
• Small group discussions of wilderness scenarios.
• Field and hands-on instruction in survival and pre-hospital patient assessment, management and retrieval.
• High-fidelity simulated case-scenarios with participants functioning as both providers and patients.
• Supervised 10-day field-practicum incorporating medical assessment, treatment, evacuation, survival and improvisational techniques.
• Complete a scholarly project.

Where

 Breckenridge, Colorado and the San Rafael Swell, Utah

Diversity and Discrimination
The Wilderness Medical Society, the Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or political affiliation. A reasonable attempt will be made by the selection committee to maintain gender diversity within the class. All class slots will be willed with quality applicants.

Health Conditions or Impairments 
Applicants should be in sufficient physical condition and health to complete a 10-day overnight field experience with a trek through the rugged high desert environment and in winter day-hikes in Colorado to altitudes of 13,000 ft as a requirement for successful completion of the elective.

Attendees must be able to participate in rigorous physical exercise to include, but not limited to heavy lifting and hiking with a heavy pack over difficult terrain in bad weather. As such, course participants will be expected to be good physical condition upon arrival. Applicants with a health condition or impairments will qualify for consideration if they can be reasonably expected to participate and complete the elective. This should be so stated by an examining physician on the medical form that accompanies the application. Participants with generally non-limiting chronic illness on medications who are otherwise qualified must arrive with sufficient quantity of medication and/or supplies to last the entire course. Determination of disqualification by reason of medical disability or illness is at the discretion of the Course Director. Applicants that will be pregnant and in their 1st trimester during the duration of the elective are eligible to participate with a signed written statement from the obstetrical care provider. Those in their second or third trimester at any time during the elective are not eligible. Participants that are shown to have falsified medical information will be dismissed from the course and will forfeit all tuition fees.

Safety and Risk Management
The Wilderness Medical Society, the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, and the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center are committed to providing a safe and rewarding elective experience. However, all risk from injury cannot be eliminated. Course work will involve individual and group activities in rugged terrain, remote locations and bad weather. Leadership, planning, and conduct of these activities with respect to these risks is an important part of the elective educational experience. Good physical and mental conditioning is vital to successful completion of the course. Students will be responsible for providing, maintaining, and transporting their own equipment. They will be expected to sleep outdoors and care for themselves in extreme weather conditions. Field activities such as the final 10-day hike will be student planned with rotating student leadership and will be accompanied and supervised by one or more WMS faculty members. There may be occasions during pre-planned free time in town or at the beginning or end of the course when students will not be supervised by faculty members.

The final hike will involve ten days of travel in remote areas of eastern Utah including the San Rafael Swell and surrounding areas where rapid emergency rescue and medical response is impossible. While all reasonable efforts will be made to mitigate the danger inherent in backcountry travel, personal safety can not be guaranteed. All applicants are required to read, understand and sign the liability waiver statement included in the application section of the web site.