Wilderness Medical Society
Medical Conference and Annual Meeting
Snowmass, Colorado - July 24-29, 2009

This conference has been thoughtfully designed to appeal to the experienced wilderness medicine veteran as well as the novice. You can come a day early to attend Wilderness Medicine for the Professional Practitioner or the Disaster Medicine Symposium. You can learn about the WMS through its committee and board meetings, participate in the small group sessions, or you can enjoy the mountains. You get to make your schedule!

A PERSONAL MESSAGE

Members, colleagues, friends – old and new…
Last summer we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the WMS; this year we invite you to join us in Snowmass as we usher in the next chapter of the Society and continue to combine our profession with our passion.

A hallmark at the 2008 conference was the keynote address by Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-2006). He stated: “The Wilderness Medical Society is a primary source of intellectual property for medical care in austere environments.” This year’s conference will focus on the connection and overlap of traditional wilderness medicine with military medicine, disaster medicine, travel medicine, etc, noting
that “austere environments” can include the precious wilderness, war zones, New Orleans and Mumbai.

As you read through the brochure and website information (wms.org), in addition to a few of our perennial favorites, you will see many new faces on the Faculty. Last October we sent an email invitation, a “Call for Faculty Presenters,” to WMS members; we had no idea what to expect. We were gratified by the quantity and quality of the responses we received. They are a testament to the success of the WMS (through the accomplishments
of its members and Fellows of the Academy) in honoring its mission of advancing healthcare, research, and education in wilderness medicine. The next generation of wilderness medicine leaders and educators has arrived.

The program has something for anyone and everyone who wants to learn about Wilderness Medicine. The pre-conferences offer a hands-on skills practicum and a symposium on disaster medicine. The didactic lectures, evening presentations, and especially the small group sessions, run the gamut from core/basic subjects to advanced/specialized topics. Last year’s lively roundtable discussion was such a hit that we’re offering two this summer – standardization of wilderness first aid courses and the scope of wilderness medicine.

In response to your feedback, we’ve added opportunities for you to learn about and get involved in the Society including committee meetings, breakout and information sessions and an informal luncheon with WMS past presidents. And we’ve upped the fun factor! The welcome reception will have music and a T-shirt exchange. Peter Hackett will entertain and educate us at the annual banquet with stories he has collected along the way. And we will cap off the week with a TGR film. Finally, we’ve added some interesting recreational options for your spouses/guests and children to participate in while you are in session.

In closing, these are challenging times nationally and internationally – economically and environmentally. Problems seem to be increasing as resources decrease. We all chose a profession in medicine or health service, in part, because we wanted to serve and provide care for others.
To continue to do so as well as we can, especially in these trying times, we must remember to stay balanced and take care of ourselves. We can think of no better way to do that than to spend a week with like-minded colleagues in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado where you will be educated, inspired and renewed.

See you in Snowmass!

Colin Grissom, MD
WMS President		 Jay Lemery, MD
Program Chair

PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Friday, July 24 Monday, July 27
8:00am–6:00pm Wilderness Medicine for the Professional Practitioner 7:00am–1:00pm WMS Board Meeting
Saturday, July 25 7:40am–12:00pm Small Group Sessions
8:00am–4:00pm Wilderness Medicine for the Professional Practitioner 1:00–5:00pm Conference in Session
8:00–10:50am Small Group Sessions 6:00–7:30pm Academy of Wilderness Medicine Reception & Fellow Convocation
11:00am–5:30pm Disaster Medicine Symposium: Beyond the Algorithm 8:00–9:00pm Evening Presentation
5:45–7:15pm Conference Commencement Tuesday, July 28
7:15–9:30pm Welcome Reception 7:30am –12:15pm Conference in Session
Sunday, July 26 1:00–5:20pm Small Group Sessions
6:30–7:45am WMS Committee Meetings 6:30–11:00pm WMS Annual Banquet
7:45 –11:45am Conference in Session Wednesday, July 29
11:45am–12:30pm Luncheon with WMS Past Presidents 7:40am–12:00pm Small Group Sessions
12:30–6:30pm WMS Committee Meetings & Student Reception 1:00–5:15pm Conference Session & Final Adjournment
1:00–5:20pm Small Group Sessions 8:00–10:00pm TGR Film Night
7:00–8:30pm Roundtable Discussion