Background
In the original Fellowship proposal by James Liffrig MD, Dr. Liffrig proposed the development of an advanced degree in wilderness medicine, beyond that of a Fellow, including specialization within the scope of wilderness medicine under the direction of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. After the introduction of the Fellowship, with the first certifications conferred in 2007, the Wilderness Medical Society turned to developing the Master Fellowship. During the July 2009 Annual Meeting in Snowmass, the WMS Board of Directors approved a concept paper detailing the structure of a specialized educational advanced certification program in Wilderness Medicine. This new Master Fellow program was announced to the Wilderness Medical Society’s membership during the Snowmass 2010 Fellow’s Convocation at the 2010 Annual Meeting.
In contrast to the Fellow’s Program, which is a broad-based or “Baccalaureate” program, this new educational program is a specific area of study or “Master”-level program. It is therefore referred to as the Master Fellow Degree Program. In creating this new Master program, an effort was made to consider adult learning theories and Kaufman’s “seven principals to guide teaching practice” that combine adult learning theories to help create a program that could fulfill the needs of the WMS membership (Kaufman D., Applying educational theory in practice. Brit Med J. 2003;326:213-216). Kaufman’s seven principals to guide teaching practice are as follows:
• The learner should be an active contributor to the educational process
• Learning should be closely related to understanding and solving real life problems
• Learners’ knowledge and experience are critical in new learning situations
• Self-direction is important
• Practice, self-assessment and feedback are important
• Learners should be given the opportunity for reflection
• Role models are important
The following is a brief description of this new and innovative program.
Overview
The Master Fellow degree program is an advanced, post-Fellow certification denoting individuals who have excelled in a specific sub-discipline within wilderness medicine in addition to being Fellows of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. The Master program:
1. Furthers the academic programs of the WMS.
2. Allows additional academic enrichment opportunities for WMS members.
3. Creates a group of experts in specific sub-disciplines for utilization in teaching, lecturing and research development.
4. Creates a cadre of ever evolving leaders in wilderness medicine recognized by the WMS.
The Master Fellow curriculum is divided into three parts:
1. Candidate Education
The Master Fellow Candidate is asked to select an area of concentration. These are usually drawn from (but are not limited to) one of the 16 sub-disciplines for the Fellow candidates. Areas of concentration will be evaluated and granted or denied on an individual basis.
It is expected that the Master Fellow Candidate (MFC) will attend as many WMS-sponsored lectures as possible regarding his/her selected subdivision. However, during the MFC’s time of study, not all of these lectures may be offered. As a result, the MFC and the MFC Advisor will identify critical publications for study.
2. Academic and Scholarly Activity
The MFC must complete a scholarly activity. This activity will address their given area of concentration and should be written in the form of a manuscript fit for publication. These publications should either be submitted to the peer-reviewed medical literature (journals) or to publishers (books). Conferring of the Master Fellowship is not contingent upon acceptance of this manuscript by a journal or publisher, but it is preferred. Should it not be accepted, the manuscript will be reviewed by the FAWM Oversight Committee for publication suitability. It is also expected that the scholarly activity will be converted to a lecture and submitted for presentation at a WMS meeting. Should it not be accepted, the lecture proposal will be reviewed by the FAWM Oversight Committee for presentation/lecture suitability. If either the written or lecture formats of the scholarly activity are not felt by the FAWM Oversight Committee to meet standards for publication or scientific meeting presentation, they will be returned to the MFC and MFC Advisor for revision.
3. Experiential Activity
The MFC should have excellent hands-on wilderness medicine skills. These skills should be developed and honed individually by the MFC under the guidance of their MFC Advisor. Following satisfactory acquisition of these types of skills, Master Fellow Candidates would be expected to assist with the preconference workshops that include hands-on wilderness medicine skills. Additionally, this requirement could be met by leading small WMS-sponsored experiential trips, especially ones intersecting with or addressing the MFC’s area of focus.
Other Requirements
1. Be a designated a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine in good standing for at least 2 years and a WMS Life Member at or before time of acceptance (if accepted)
2. Provide the FAWM Oversight Committee a letter of intent along with
a) A named sub-discipline area
b) A letter of acceptance from your MFC Advisor (see below for Advisor definition)—Advisors must be registered with the Academy
3. Pay the Master Fellow enrollment fee of $500 at the time of submission (refundable if not accepted)
4. Complete the Master Fellow application (click here to upload completed application)
Candidates must complete the Master Fellow program within a 5-year period. Extensions are only granted in exceptional circumstances via appeal to the FAWM Oversight Committee. The Master Fellow program is primarily a self-education program. To ensure that the candidate is achieving his or her milestones, the use of an MFC Advisor is required.
Academic Portfolio
The MFC Advisor is the best judge of the MFC. However, to ensure defensibility, equity, and mutipartisan review, the candidate will be asked to keep an MFC academic portfolio. The portfolio will contain the following information and will be submitted electronically:
1. Literature reviewed
2. The scholarly activity, including both its text, a log of communications with either peer-reviewed journals or publishers, and a log of communications regarding presenting this material at a WMS conference
3. The log of MFC-MFC Advisor meetings over the duration of the MFC window (quarterly, and equal to or less than five years from approval)
4. A letter validating a successful experience in the hands-on experience (could have video samples of teaching style/techniques)
5. MFC Advisor letter recommending conferral of the certificate
Once the portfolio is submitted, the FAWM Oversight Committee will review the portfolio to assure that all the aspects of the Master Fellow Program have been addressed and to assure that a Master level experience was obtained. The Academy Oversight Committee will vote on passage and with 75% or greater approval of the entire Committee (not a quorum or any subsection) the MFC can then be awarded a Master Fellow certificate.