Wilderness Medical Society

Membership programs & services: the wms achieves its mission to "improve the scientific knowledge of the membership and general public" via the following: 1. Its peer-reviewed scientific journal, the Wilderness & environmental medicine journal (wemj) which is the leading publication for cutting edge advances in the science and practice of Wilderness medicine (wm). Wm clinical practice guidelines are published to provide wms members with the best methods of handling Wilderness related trauma, environmental illnesses, & managing Medical problems in the Wilderness. 2. Research grants: in order to foster and promote research on health and medicine in extreme or austere environments, the wms offered $30,690 in grants in 2023. 3. The online magazine disseminates timely news and wm information to Wilderness professionals, recreationalists, Medical, outdoor, and travel communities. 4. $50k professional Medical liability insurance coverage for members for pre-hospital care provided.

Diploma in mountain medicine (dimm): advancing the knowledge of our members via opportunities to earn specialized diplomas is another key way in which the wms achieves its mission. Dimm is a program designed to train the participants in the essentials of caring for patients in the technical mountain environment. The dimm program is divided into two week-long didactic sessions offered in conjunction with the two wms conferences, and two week-long skills courses that provide practical education in Wilderness medicine, technical rescue, and self-sufficiency in the backcountry.

Conferences: another way in which the wms achieves its mission to improve the scientific knowledge of the membership is via high quality educational conferences. 2 conferences were held in 2023. The annual winter and summer conferences with their morning plenary sessions and afternoon interactive workshops and small group sessions. 1. The winter conference provided 32.5 hours of cme credits via topics including helicopter rescues, skills to save a life, suspension syndrome, managing diabetes in the Wilderness, medical-legal issues in Wilderness, Wilderness epidemiology, sherpa physiology, aging and cardiovascular disease, red tide, flight emergencies and worst-case scenarios. 2. The summer conference provided 26.25 hours of cme credits via topics including intro to freediving, pulmonary barotrauma, emerging infectious disease, wem year in review, wildland firefighting, disaster orthopedics, climate medicine, animal encounters, expedition medicine and Wilderness medicine to war zones.

The other program services that the wms provides to members as part of accomplishing our mission include adventure cme trips, student electives, two additional professional development opportunities including a diploma in dive & marine medicine (didmm), and the fellowship in the academy of Wilderness medicine (fawm).