What does a career in wilderness medicine mean to you?

Marc Cassone, DO, FAWM, DiMM
ACEP Wilderness Medicine Secretary

University of New Mexico Diploma in Mountain Medicine Students and Silverton SAR-EMS after an avalanche rescue scenario, Silverton, CO.

The field of wilderness medicine has grown rapidly over the past several decades and now includes several renown journals, a growing body of literature, thriving professional societies, internationally recognized conferences, and a growing number of certifications, credentials, and fellowships. Increasing numbers of medical schools and residencies are including wilderness medicine as part of their curricula, clerkships, and electives. Unsurprisingly, emergency medicine physicians, with their wide range of expertise, adeptness in high-stress situations, and affiliations with prehospital medicine have taken many leadership, clinical, and educational roles in wilderness medicine environments. In a recent article in Annals of Emergency Medicine, wilderness medicine has been highlighted by the New Practice Model Task Force as an area of growing career opportunities.

Just as varied as the specialty and its austere environs, careers in wilderness medicine span the gamut: including volunteer, paid, seasonal, consulting, educational, research, local, international, and more. While our passion for the discipline certainly unites us, we’d like to better appreciate how, where, and why our members are involved in wilderness medicine. As the specialty and ACEP Wilderness Medicine Section continue to grow (700+ members), we’re striving to better understand how emergency medicine physicians have integrated wilderness medicine into their careers. The 2024 Wilderness Medicine Section Survey is our goal to better understand how our members practice wilderness medicine and the common challenges they face, so as to help focus efforts in making treating patients in the wild at least a little easier and even more rewarding.

We’re asking members to take five minutes to fill out the 20-question survey here.

See you on the trails (or Las Vegas in October)