Most electives can be described as either academic, clinical or research experiences. There are several of each for you to choose from, or create your own.
When are these electives?
As there are many available throughout the year; you should have no problem finding a two or four week elective to fit into your schedule. The official WMS elective is held in February of each year. Clinical rotations tend to take place during peak tourist/ski season.
Who qualifies for these electives?
Most electives will only accept third or fourth year medical students (MD or DO), with priority usually given to the fourth years. Having said that, there are a few available during the summer after your MSI and MSII year.
How do I get credit for the electives?
The official WMS elective is very well established and students have no problem receiving school credit for it. Stick with the WMS or other University affiliated courses for assurance of medical school credit if it is something you need.
How do I start my own student wilderness elective?
The WMS has many resources to help you start your own elective within your institution. Through educational materials and faculty advisors, we can help you get started. Please contact Mike Caudell [mcaudell@mail.mcg.edu], Chair of the Education Committee or Cathy Chamberlin [cchamberlin@une.edu], the WMS Student Board Representative for more information.
CURRENT ELECTIVE LIST
If you know of additional elective opportunities, or find that some of the links below are out of date, please email us.
There are "Resident " and "Fellowships" sections near the end.
MEDICAL STUDENTS
Big Sky Resort, Montana
Very popular! They take roughly 40 students per year and make their decisions each November in the year PRIOR to your elective (they only take 4th year medical students). We suggest you apply very early. You can even apply online!
Course contact: Jeff Daniels, MD
www.docsky.us
Cornell Medical College
Combined one month elective in emergency medicine and wilderness medicine; one week backcountry in the Adirondack Mountains - September 26 to October 23, 2011
Two week wilderness medicine elective; one week backcountry location TBD: either US Southwest or Carribean - April 30 to May 12, 2012
3rd & 4th year students
Johns Hopkins University
Held for 2 weeks each Spring in beautiful Catocin Mountain Park in western Maryland.
A combination of didactic lectures, simulation training, practical demonstrations and outdoor group scenarios/exercises.
Course contact: Pamela McCann
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/wildernessmedicine
Madigan Army Medical Center
This 4-week elective (Sept. 1 - 29, 2011) at MAMC includes trips to Mt. Rainier, local rock climbing, and the Olympic Mountains. Students will participate in a didactic course including certification in Advanced Wilderness Life Support (www.awls.org), multiple field training scenarios requiring teamwork and improvisation, practical skills workshops, simulation medicine, and weekly attendance at MAMC emergency medicine grand rounds.
This elective includes an optional 8 day field experience in the Olympic Mountains with National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Pacific Northwest, focusing on teamwork, wilderness medical skills and leadership curriculum (Sep 19-27, 2011)
No prior wilderness experience required.
Cost is $250 for AWLS certification during 3-week course (does not include room/board).
Check our website for current price for NOLS elective.
Eligible Participants: 3rd and 4th year medical students, interns, and residents (any specialty)
Medcor at Yellowstone National Park
2 to 4 week rotations for medical, PA and NP students available from June 1 to August 31 every summer. Please submit applications in January. For students interested in practicing in an austere setting seeing patients with primary care, emergency and wilderness related conditions in a national park setting (Yellowstone Clinics). For more information, contact:
Elective Director: Luanne Freer, MD lfreer@medcor.com
NOLS Medical Student Course - Medicine in the Wild
The Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS (WMI) and the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency (HAEMR) are pleased to announce dates for the 2012 "Medicine in the Wild" elective for third and fourth year medical students.This elective, now in its eighth year, utilizes an extended NOLS wilderness expedition in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico to offer an integrated curriculum focusing on wilderness medicine, leadership, outdoor skills and effective medical education.
Join us next spring from April 8-May 3, 2012!
For more information please visit http://ww.nols.edu/wmi/courses/medicineinthewild.shtml.
Telluride Medical Center / Institute for Altitude Medicine
There is a 4 week research elective offered to medical students.
Contact: Jenny Hargrove, MD
www.telluridemedicalcenter.org
Uganda Social Medicine Course
Month long on-site immersion course in social medicine offered at Lacor Hospita in Gulu, Uganda from January 10, 2011 through February 4, 2011. This intensive course intersects the study of clinical medicine in a resource-poor setting with social medicine topics such as globalization, war, human rights, and narrative medicine, among others.
For more information, read the attached prospectus and view the short video about this year's course, available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLHGpY4EDwg
If you have any questions or are interested in applying, please email us at social.medicine@yahoo.com. Applications are due July 30, 2010.
UCSF Fresno
This 2 week elective is a combination of classroom didactics and hands on training in the Sierras/Yosemite Park. Major topics in wilderness medicine are covered.
Course contact: Lori Weichenthal, MD
http://www.fresno.ucsf.edu/em/medical_students.htm
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Takes place in May each year. 3 weeks (evolutions): The first evolution will be Alpine and will take place on Mount Pfiefferhorn, the second will be White Water on the Green River/Desolation Canyon, and the last will be Desert in Canyonlands National Park. Additional opportunities for first and second year medical students. Apply at least 1 year in advance. Approximate cost is $2000.00, excluding transportation to Utah.
Course contact: kerri.o'keefe@umassmed.edu
http://www.umassmed.edu/wildmeded.aspx
University of Nebraska School of Medicine & Belize Institute for Tropical & Wilderness Medicine & GMRS Ltd
Wilderness Medicine, International Health, Wilderness Rescue, Wilderness Survival Rotations in Belize and around the world. All are sponsored for credit by U of Nebraska Medical Center
Course contact: info@gmrsltd.com
http://www.gmrsltd.com/2008WildernessExpeditionMedicine2.htm
University of Nevada - Winter Wilderness Medicine Elective
Course includes brief lecture time with extensive hands-on experience culminating in a weekend in a luxurious backcountry lodge in the Tahoe Sierra.
Topics include: hypothermia, frostbite, altitude, decision making, snow safety, wilderness rescue and more.
Next course: February 9th – 13th
For more information go to: http://www.medicine.nevada.edu/residency/reno/familymedicine/WildernessMedicineWinter.asp
Contact: David Fiore, MD dfiore@medicine.nevada.edu
University of Nevada - Survival Wilderness Medicine Elective
Course contact: Alisha Ortiz
http://www.lasvegasemr.com/wilderness/index.html
University of New Mexico
Course contact: Annette Lucero
http://hsc.unm.edu/emermed/W_Med/WildernessMedicine.shtml
University of South Carolina
Involves several components including classroom instruction, outdoor laboratory sessions and a 4-5 day wilderness excursion involving rescue scenarios, canoeing, hiking, and camping
Course Directors: Dr Allison Harvey and Dr. Steve Stanfield
www.scwildernessmed.com
University of Utah
National conference on wilderness medicine for students. View upcoming AWLS courses
Course Contact: Richard Ingebretsen, MD
http://awlsmedstudents.org/studentelective.html
University of Virginia
Two week didactic course offered twice yearly culminating with a two day overnight field experience. View curriculum.
Course Contact: Christopher Holstege, MD
Wilderness and International Electives for Medical Students
Sponsored by the Wilderness Medical Society and USUHS. The most comprehensive wilderness course in existence located in the Great Smoky Mountains, TN
Course directors: Christian Sloane, MD and Thomas Kessler, MD
wms.org/education/elective.asp
Wilderness Medical Associates Canada
Only wilderness medicine elective in Canada developed in 2005. Usually held at an outdoor field centre. Focuses on medicine and patient care in remote settings. Open to all students after completing first year. (download syllabus)
Course contact: Mike Webster
http://www.wildmed.ca/w_elective.html
Journal article in Canadian Family Physician, Experiencing Medicine Without the Bells and Whistles.
Wilderness Medicine in Alaska
Sponsored by SUNY Upstate New York Medical College, Wilderness Education Association, and the Denali Education Center, AK. This course is open to anyone, and generally about half are medical students.Download more information.
Course directors: Thomas Welch, MD (Lead Instructor) and Jodi Rodwell (Course Coordinator)
www.denali.org
www.adirondoc.com
Winter Wilderness Medicine
Course includes brief lecture time with extensive hands-on experience culminating in a weekend in a luxurious backcountry lodge in the Tahoe Sierra.
Topics include: hypothermia, frostbite, altitude, decision making, snow safety, wilderness rescue and more.
Next course: February 9th – 13th[
For more information go to: http://www.medicine.nevada.edu/residency/reno/familymedicine/WildernessMedicineWinter.asp
Contact: David Fiore, MD dfiore@medicine.nevada.edu
RESIDENTS (adapted from ACEP)
Big Sky Resort, Montana
Very popular! Currently taking more than 10 residents and fellows each year, mostly during the four months of the ski season.
Course contact: Jeff Daniels, MD
www.docsky.us
Grand Canyon Clinic
This is a 4-6 week rotation for 3rd year residents (EM, IM or FP) providing remote urgent and ambulatory care for canyon visitors. Recommended to take place between April and August (highest visitor volume).
Contact: Sean Clendaniel
www.nps.gov/grca
Grand Teton National Park- Search and Rescue
Opportunities exist to work directly with paramedics, rotate through the emergency department (senior residents preferred), and to work with the local search and rescue team. Mid-summer and ski season tend to be the best months because they are busy. There is no formal program at this time, so a resident’s interests and plans will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Contact: Will Smith, MD
www.wildmedconsulting.com
Madigan Army Medical Center
This 4-week elective (Sept. 1 - 29, 2011) at MAMC includes trips to Mt. Rainier, local rock climbing, and the Olympic Mountains. Students will participate in a didactic course including certification in Advanced Wilderness Life Support (www.awls.org), multiple field training scenarios requiring teamwork and improvisation, practical skills workshops, simulation medicine, and weekly attendance at MAMC emergency medicine grand rounds.
This elective includes an optional 8 day field experience in the Olympic Mountains with National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Pacific Northwest, focusing on teamwork, wilderness medical skills and leadership curriculum (Sep 19-27, 2011)
No prior wilderness experience required.
Cost is $250 for AWLS certification during 3-week course (does not include room/board).
Check our website for current price for NOLS elective.
Eligible Participants: 3rd and 4th year medical students, interns, and residents (any specialty)
MedWAR
Races take place in five locations across the country.
Contact: Michael Caudell
www.medwar.org
Racing the Planet
This is a 250km footrace through four of the world's biggest deserts. Senior EM residents and fellows with an interest in providing sports medicine care in remote areas of the world would gain invaluable experience on the care of endurance athletes and logistics for coordinating such care. You must be willing to travel to remote areas of the world, fit enough to hike 10 to 20 km and camp for 7 days, and obtain your own malpractice insurance. Flight costs are supplemented, and lodging is paid.
Contact: Brian Krabak, MD
www.4deserts.com
Stanford University
Residents work in remote outposts in Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia..
Contact: Kelly Murphy, MD
Telluride Medical Center / Institute for Altitude Medicine
There is a 4 week research rotation offered through the Institute for Altitude Medicine for residents. There is also a 4 week clinical rotation through the Telluride Medical Center for to PGY3's only.
Contact: Jenny Hargrove, MD (research)
Contact: Dan Hehir, MD (clinical)
www.telluridemedicalcenter.org
UCSF Fresno
There is a program offered every other January where residents are involved in training National Park Rangers to become park paramedics..
Contact Lori Weichenthal, MD
www.fresno.ucsf.edu/em/parkmedic.htm
University of Virginia
Two week didactic course offered twice yearly culminating with a two day overnight field experience. View curriculum.
Course Contact: Christopher Holstege, MD
RESIDENCIES (with a Wilderness Medicine Track)
Central Maine Medical Center- Family Practice
This 3-year longitudinal program allows residents to become skilled in clinical, research, and educational aspects of wilderness medicine. The program includes funding for textbooks, elective travel expenses, WMS membership, and the Wilderness Advanced Life Support (WALS) course. Electives may be done at with the local ski patrol (Sunday River, ME), or other locations with advanced planning. Residents also travel each year with the Himalayan Health Exchange
Contact Jill Freda
http://www.cmmcfmrp.org/wimp.html
Montana Family Medicine Residency
Intensive 3-year wilderness medicine training track with rotation opportunities in Yellowstone National Park, Red Lodge, Big Sky and others locations in and outside the United States. Further opportunities include a WALS course, wilderness medicine conferences, research and writing.
Contact: Joseph Keel, MD
http://www.mfmr.org/