Join the WMS for informational, educational and networking webinars on a wide array of topics. Click the Go button to view the upcoming schedule.
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This is where you can find every useful link related to conference attendance including schedules, syllabi material and recorded lectures. Also, visit conference support to complete a course evaluation, CME worksheet and receive your CME Certificate. Go
The Wilderness Medical Society makes available a varying number of vendor tables at our Summer and Winter Conferences. Vendors have the opportunity to interact with registrants before and after sessions, during breaks and as they pass through the venue.
Information
As a service to our Affiliates and the entire Wilderness Medicine Community, here are the upcoming events related to Wilderness Medicine.
EASTERN (February): The WMS Elective is designed for third and fourth year medical students, residents, 2nd year PA students and senior nursing students who are enrolled in a program at an accredited or internationally recognized allopathic or osteopathic medical school (PA or nursing school) or residency program in the US and abroad. The standard elective provides four weeks of instruction while the two-week advanced resident elective is targeted for those with wilderness medicine experience. Offered in association with the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine at Wilderness Adventure in New Castle, VA. Go
WESTERN (April): Enrollment in the BreckWild course is only open to 4th year medical students in good standing in North American medical schools in the US and Canada. Offered in association with the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University at the Outdoor Education Center in Breckenridge, CO (with field sessions in eastern UT). Go
In addition to the societal fellowship program through the Academy of Wilderness Medicine that the WMS offers, multiple fellowship programs have been developed throughout the country which offer an extra year of specialty training in the discipline of Wilderness Medicine. These programs are housed in a variety of departments and are providing a very focused and in-depth experience to physicians who are interested in Wilderness Medicine. These programs have a core curriculum and provide experiential training in wilderness environments as part of their educational curriculum. Go
Since 2009, the WMS has recorded most of the lectures that have been delivered at our CME conferences. Particularly useful for members advancing their FAWM (Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine) status, these are organized according to the FAWM disciplines. These lectures represent cutting-edge information in the field of wilderness medicine and serve as an evolving body of knowledge across a very wide range of subjects. Online lectures can be purchased in the WMS Trading Post and viewed an unlimited number of times. WMS Members are able to claim FAWM and/or CME Credits for viewing these lectures. Go
WMS has developed a series of PowerPoint presentations to help physicians and allied healthcare professionals teach topics in wilderness medicine. Each lecture contains more than seventy images and is accompanied by an explanatory text and study guide. Topics were developed by members of the Wilderness Medical Society who are experts in their field. The information presented is accurate and current. These lectures are suited for a broad range of audiences, including physicians, residents, and medical students. The series is also instructive for pre hospital personnel, emergency medical technicians, Wilderness First Responders, and other allied health professionals. Go
One of the fundamental philosophies of the WMS is promotion of wilderness medicine education in the community. The WMS Education Library includes a collection of formal PowerPoint presentations on a variety of common wilderness medicine related topics. These presentations are designed for use by WMS members to assist in reaching out to the community to enhance their awareness and preparedness. Go
While classroom lectures can be very informative, there is no substitute for "hands-on" educational opportunities. The WMS Teaching Scenarios are case-based vignettes (PowerPoint presentations), designed to be implemented in the field to create a realistic and interactive learning experience. Each scenario presents a clinical problem and outlines the expected assessment, management and disposition pathway possibilities. After conducting the exercise in a realistic environment, these cases may then be discussed to enhance lessons learned and provide focus for further training and instruction. Go
To supplement our collection of hundreds of recorded online lectures, the WMS is developing a series of interactive, online Learning Modules that will be delivered here. The initial modules will be: Altitude, Hypothermia, Heat Illness and Cold Injuries - with more planned in the future.
AWLS (Advanced Wilderness Life Support), a WMS Affiliate, currently offers several online courses that qualify for CME and FAWM credit on their site.
The Academy is a modular system of adult education that organizes the broad range of information in the discipline of Wilderness Medicine. It delivers them in a professionally packaged, standardized fashion according to modern concepts of medical education using objectives as the basis for learning experiences and outcomes evaluation where appropriate. Go
The Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) is an exciting program designed to train the participant in the essentials of caring for patients in the technical mountain environment. It has set the standard over the past 10 years in Europe and other parts of the world for education of doctors, mid-level providers, nurses, and medics in mountain medicine and rescue. The Wilderness Medical Society is partnering with the University of Utah and University of Colorado to introduce this exciting program in the USA. Medical commissions of the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) and International Commission for Alpine Rescue (ICAR), together with the International Society for Mountain Medicine (ISMM), established minimal requirements for these courses in 1997. Go
The Diploma in Diving and Marine Medicine (DiDMM) is a continuing medical educational program for doctors, mid-level providers, nurses, and medics who work in or aspire to work in the Marine Environment. The required coursework is an ideal blend of didactic and practical education in Marine Science, Dive, and Hyperbaric medicine, along with the skills required to make one proficient in this challenging and exciting world of water. Go
Wilderness Medicine (WM) is unique in its inclusion of multiple medical specialties and multiple types of medical practitioners (Physicians, Physician Assistants (PAs), Nurse Practitioners (NPs)). Although many WM fellowships exclusively train emergency medicine physicians, there are several fellowships that train PAs and NPs, as well as other physician specialties. This is not surprising, given that the skills and knowledge of WM practice is shared by the fields of emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, anesthesia, orthopedics, ophthalmology, infectious disease, sports medicine, disaster medicine, travel medicine, pre-hospital medicine, and military medicine. The Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) is the leading professional organization for WM. The membership of the WMS includes physicians across many specialty disciplines, academic researchers, midlevel practitioners, nurses, and first responders (including nonmedical personnel) frequently in wilderness or rescue settings. As a result of being the only professional society specialized in WM education and practice advancement, the WMS is in a unique position to provide a forum for peer review and growth of wilderness medicine fellowship programs. Go
"Wilderness & Environmental Medicine is the leading publication for cutting edge advances in the science and practice of wilderness medicine." --Paul S. Auerbach, MD Go
The WMS Practice Guidelines for Wilderness Emergency Care were originally published in 1987 and updated five times by 2006 in a chapter-based book format to provide WMS members with an “official statement” of the best methods of handling wilderness related trauma, environmental illnesses, and managing medical problems in the wilderness. While a valuable source of practical information to WMS members, as the book was coming up for revision in 2007, the WMS decided to move towards a more evidence-based, expert panel driven consensus of practice guidelines that could be referenced in the medical literature as well as accessed by those outside of the society. Go
Abstracts focus on recent research covering the entire spectrum of wilderness medicine. This abstract submission is for consideration at the next Wilderness Medical Society’s Summer Conference and Annual Meeting. Abstract Submission
The WMS Research Committee offers resources to help researchers and authors successfully negotiate the process of putting together a project and seeing it through to publication. Go
Your WMS Member Area. Here you can access/update all information relevant to your WMS membership as well as retrieve downloadable material or view online lectures you've purchased. You can also submit requests for CME credit, see all CME activity and obtain reprints of certificates. Go
If you're not a current member: Join or Renew Now!
Claim CME credits, view all CME activity and reprint previously awarded certificates as well as obtain CME credit for Journal article review. Go
The Wilderness & Environmental Medicine journal is publicly available online at WEMJOURNAL.ORG, however the current issue is restricted to WMS Members only. If you are a current WMS member, click: Member Journal Access
Find WMS Members! You can sort/filter by combinations of name, city, state, country and specialty. Go
Interact with other WMS Members and enthusiasts! Go
WMS Student Pages Go
Learn all about the WMS: Board of Directors, Staff and Committees as well as its mission, history, philosophy and by-laws. Go
Presentation: Overview of the WMS. This presentation is available as a PowerPoint to Members upon request. Please contact Jim Ingwersen.
WMS Board of Directors Go
WMS Staff Go
The WMS has many active member committees that participate in leading the society in many areas of wilderness medicine. Explore the various committees, their members and ongoing discussions and projects. Go
In addition to supporting our educational, Non-Profit mission, there are a growing number of exciting benefits to Membership in the Wilderness Medical Society! Go
The Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) affiliates with companies that the WMS believes have the ability to advance the WMS's mission and goals. There is no relationship with these members other than the shared goal to support the membership of the WMS. You are encouraged to complete your own due diligence and research to determine whether the products, services or courses offered by these affiliates are appropriate for your needs and lifestyle. The WMS makes no warranty, expressed or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or warranty on course content (unless we are the joint provider of CME) and assumes no legal liability for products or services sold by these third parties. Go
