The Fellowship program (Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine™ or FAWM) offers a means to identify those who have fulfilled a demanding set of requirements validating their training and experience in wilderness medicine. Society members enroll in the Academy and, by completing lessons from a pre-established Wilderness Medicine curriculum as well as receiving credit for specific identifiable experience, accumulate credit toward becoming a Fellow. Any current Standard or Premium member of the WMS who successfully completes the requirements will have the distinction of being a registered member of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and entitled to use the designation Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) and may reference it on resumes, business cards, and advertisements.

The program is designed to provide a combination of learning and demonstration of the advanced practice of wilderness medicine through experience, teaching, scholarly activity, and leadership. A broad understanding of wilderness medicine is required therefore candidates are expected to obtain required and elective credits in each of the defined subject areas.

FAWM Brochure

How It Works
First, you must be a member of the WMS at the Standard or Premium level. After your membership has taken effect, then you can process the FAWM candidacy application and pay the application fee ($225).  Once you're a candidate, you can begin claiming and accumulating credits. (Please note that the system permissions update overnight so please wait 24 hours before accessing any member or FAWM-specific pages). 

If you are not a WMS member, and received FAWM information at an eligible event , then you can receive credit for that event by joining the WMS and applying to the Academy within 120 days of the event. To complete the program and become a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, a candidate must accumulate a minimum number of credits as described in the following table.

 

  Required credits for candidates attending 1 WMS conference   Required credits for candidates attending 2+ WMS conferences
 Core Credits  50-70  45-70
 Elective Credits 5-15 5-15 
 Experience Credits 20-40  20-40
 Total 100   95

 

 Core credits come from approved, credit-scored activities. Candidates must complete a minimum of 45 to a maximum of 70 credits from the list of "core" topics. Each core credit category has a maximum credit allocation (see Core Credits listing under Topics Covered). If a FAWM candidate completes multiple lectures with the same core credit category, they are allocated in the following order - WMS credits, WEM journal credits* and Non-WMS credits.

Elective credits come from approved, credit-scored activities. Candidates must complete a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 15 credits from the list of "elective" topics.

Additionally, each candidate must document between 20 and 40 experience credits in the Experience Report. The report breaks experience into the following categories: 

Section I. - Certifications/Degrees (including military training) 
Section II. - Publications and Research
Section III. - Education Activities
Section IV. - Public Service 
Section V. - Other 

* to maximize your core credit earning from a FAWM-approved activity as well as the WEM journal articles, wait to review and submit journal articles once you've earned at least 30 other core credits. 

Accumulating Credits
Accounting for a candidate's accumulating credits is accomplished according to the following repeating sequence: Verification by WMS of the candidate's attendance at an approved, scored activity (see Search Approved Activities). Online designation of attended sessions related to each activity by the candidate. Online completion and editing of Experience Report information by the candidate. Review of candidate’s status reports by WMS (see FAWM Progress Tab in your profile).
Retroactive Credits
Candidates meeting initial criteria or candidates who did not complete their FAWM within five years who wish to apply again, may request that previously completed educational events be applied toward their FAWM credits. There is an additional $25 (USD) retroactive fee associated with this service. To be eligible for credit, educational activities must meet the following criteria:
• Be on the online list of Approved Activities
• Must have been completed by the FAWM candidate within five years of beginning or renewing one’s candidacy

Retroactive Fee

Limitations and Other Requirements
• Core credits for review of Journal articles are limited to a maximum of 12.
• Credits claimed from Non-WMS activities (not offered directly by WMS) are limited to a maximum of 28.
• Candidates must attend at least one live WMS activity (FAWM-approved, Non-WMS activities do not qualify for this requirement).
• Credits in the status report are allocated in the following order: WMS Credits, Journal article credits and Non-WMS Credits. If candidates complete two lectures in the same category, the WMS credit is counted first.
• Student membership category is eligible to begin the candidacy and accumulate credits but not eligible to complete the requirements (see prerequisites below).
• Candidates must submit their report for review no later than 90 days prior to their candidacy expiration to allow three months for review and questions.
• Candidates FAWM report must be completed, reviewed and approved by June 1 to be awarded at the summer conference. (If approved after June 1, the award will take place the following year).
Prerequisites
In addition to accumulating the necessary credits, awarding of the Fellowship requires:
•Completion of an initial qualifying, credentialing, or vocational degree-producing program in any recognized medical discipline or vocation (MD, DO, PA, RN, NP, EMT, Pharm. D, DC, ND, RD, PT, Affiliate degree). Others may be considered on an individual basis.
•Completion of at least one year of professional practice in the medical vocation or discipline after completion of an initial qualifying program or school.
FAR
FELLOW ADVANCEMENT RECOGNITION (FAR) Fellows in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine are encouraged to advance their FAWM status. In addition to offering the Master Fellow program, the WMS recognizes the continued accumulation of core and elective credits after a member has become a Fellow. Awards will be presented to those Fellows who have been awarded the required levels of post-FAWM credits as displayed below. The Credit Status report can be used to display your current credit summary.
AWARD Post-FAWM Credits
Matterhorn 150
Denali 300
Everest 600
Important information:
• The date of Fellowship is determined by the official letter of notification from the WMS which confirms a candidate's Fellow status.
• Post-FAWM credits are those awarded to Fellows who participate in unique eligible activities which occur AFTER the date of Fellowship.
• Updates to a Fellow's Experience Report do not contribute to post-FAWM credits.
• The activity date for Online Videos is the date when the lecture was recorded.
• The activity date for Online Journal Articles is the date when the article was published.
• Membership in the WMS is required to maintain your Fellowship status once earned and in order to use the FAWM credential after your name.

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