Wilderness Medical Society Explained

WMS
Location Country:	United States
Members:	4,200
Full Name:	Wilderness Medical Society
Founded:	1983
Headquarters:	6705 W. Hwy 290, Suite 607-243 Austin, Texas 78735
Website:	http://www.wms.org/about/default.asp

The Wilderness Medical Society was created on 15 February 1983 by three physicians from California, United States — Dr. Paul Auerbach, Dr. Ed Geehr, and Dr. Ken Kizer.^[1] It is the largest international non-profit membership organization devoted to addressing wilderness medicine challenges, more specifically defined as "medical care delivered in those areas where fixed or transient geographic challenges reduce availability of, or alter requirements for, medical or patient movement resources".^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} It also publishes Wilderness & Environmental Medicine Journal,^{[6] [7]} Wilderness Medicine Magazine,^[8] and Wilderness Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines.^[9]

Academy of Wilderness Medicine

The academy seeks to provide a system of adult education and certification in a modern and standardised way to provide a set level of knowledge and education for practitioners working in the wilderness arena.^{[10] [11]}

The goals of the academy are to:

• Professional designation for achievement in Wilderness Medicine
• Validation for the public, patients, and clients of practitioner education in Wilderness Medicine
• Recognition for completing high quality standards in Wilderness Medicine
• Continuing medical education (CME) credit for acquisition of knowledge and hands-on experiences in Wilderness Medicine
• The advancement of an internationally recognized curriculum of Wilderness Medicine categories, topics, and skills ^[12]

The Academy also maintains the curriculum for the Fellowship award. This curriculum is completed over a maximum of a 5-year period and culminates in the award of Fellow being bestowed at the Society's annual conference. The award of the Fellowship allows the holder to use the post-nominal letters FAWM (Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine), as of early 2020 there were just over 600 current Fellows. The Academy also manages a "Master's Degree Fellow Program", which bestows a Master Fellow designation, allowing the holder to use the post-nominal letters MFAWM (Master Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine). The Master Fellow degree program is an advanced, post-fellow certification that was created to denote individuals who have excelled in a specific sub-discipline within the scope of wilderness medicine in addition to being Fellows of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. The Master program is an attempt to:

• Further the academic programs of the WMS.
• Allow additional academic enrichment opportunities for WMS members.
• Create a group of experts in specific sub-disciplines for utilization in teaching, lecturing and research development.
• Create a cadre of ever-evolving leaders for the WMS to utilize.^[13]

FAWM curriculum

The curriculum for participants wishing to gain fellowship is modular and is divided into Electives, Required Topics and Experience:

Required/Core Topics are divided into twelve sub-headings:^[14]

• Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine
• Tropical and Travel Medicine
• High Altitude^[15] & Mountaineering Medicine
• Expedition Medicine
• Field Craft and Equipment
• Rescue and Evacuation
• Sports Medicine and Physiology
• Preventive Medicine, Field Sanitation & Hygiene
• General Environmental Medicine
• Improvised and Alternative Medicine
• Disaster & Humanitarian Assistance
• Wilderness Emergencies and Trauma Management^[16]

FAWM credits can be gained in a number of ways such as:

• Attending WMS conferences
• Completing online tests after reading journal articles
• Watching online lectures
• Publishing peer-reviewed articles
• Teaching in the area of Wilderness Medicine

Activities

The Wilderness Medical Society organizes annual conferences and meetings for members and interested parties.^[17]

Notable Fellows

• Dr. Paul Auerbach – Founder of WMS and past president of the WMS.
• Dr. Paul Bromley – Senior Advanced Clinical Practitioner, prehospital clinician and lecturer in clinical physiology.^{[18] [19] [20]}
• Dr. Sundeep Dhillon – Physician and physiologist.^[21]
• Dr. Hannah Evans – GP and expedition medicine instructor and lecturer.^{[22] [23]}
• Dr. Clayton Everline – Author of 2 editions of "Surf Survival" (2011, 2019) and Sports Medicine doctor on Oahu.^[24]
• Dr. Seth C. Hawkins – First physician to be designated a Master Fellow;^[25] editor of the textbook Wilderness EMS; executive editor of Wilderness Medicine Magazine; founder of the Carolina Wilderness EMS Externship.
• Mr. Rhodri Jordan – Remote Paramedic and educationalist.^[26]
• Dr. Tom E Mallinson – Prehospital Doctor and Academic. Senior Lecturer for the College of Remote and Offshore Medicine^{[27] [28]}
• Mr. Aebhric O'Kelly – Dean Emeritus of the College of Remote and Offshore Medicine.^{[29] [30]}
• Dr. Matt Wilkes – Senior Editor of the Adventure Medic Website, PhD researcher and anaesthetist.^{[31] [32] [33] [34]}

Affiliated groups

^[35]

• Backcountry Pulse
• College of Remote and Offshore Medicine, Malta.^[36]
• Advanced Wilderness Life Support (AWLS)^[37]
• NOLS Wilderness Medicine^[38]
• American College of Emergency Physicians – Wilderness Section^[39]
• International Hypoxia Symposia
• Everest ER^[40]
• Institute for Altitude Medicine^[41]
• EcoMed^[42]
• Wilderness Medicine Programs – Roane State Community College
• Mountain & Marine Medicine
• Waves of Health^[43]
• Argentine Mountain Medicine Society^[44]
• WildMedix^[45]
• Hawk Ventures^[46]

External links

• The Wilderness Medical Society home page

Notes and References

1. Web site: Barry, Jonna . Erb, Blair . WMS Footprints: past, present, and future . Wilderness Medical Society . 2009-06-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081231112759/http://www.wms.org/about/history.asp . 2008-12-31 . dead .
2. Web site: About the WMS. wms.org. 16 June 2021. 24 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195617/https://wms.org/about//. live.
3. Book: Hawkins, SC . Wilderness EMS . Wolters Kluwer . 2018 . 21 . 9781496349453.
4. Book: Auerbach, PS . Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine, 7e . Elsevier . 2017 . 1200 . 978-0323359429.
5. Book: Cone, David . Emergency Medical Services: Clinical Practice and Systems Oversight, 3e. . Wilderness EMS . John Wiley & Sons, Ltd . 2021 . 9781118865309.
6. Web site: WMS – Main Page. https://archive.today/20060422201534/http://www.wemjournal.org/wmsonline/?request=index-html. dead. 22 April 2006. 22 April 2006.
7. Web site: Student BMJ: The International Medical Journal for Students. Archive.student.bmj.com. 24 December 2014. 8 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110708074608/http://archive.student.bmj.com/issues/00/12/letters/470c.php. live.
8. Web site: Wilderness Medicine Magazine. wms.org/magazine. 16 June 2021. 29 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210629120916/https://www.wms.org/magazine/. live.
9. Web site: Cushing . T . Wilderness Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines . wms.org . 16 June 2021 . 30 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200430044707/https://wms.org/research/guidelines . live .
10. Web site: Expedition Medicine – Wilderness Medical Society. Expeditionmedicine.co.uk. 24 December 2014. 25 January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100125220331/http://www.expeditionmedicine.co.uk/Wilderness_Medical_Society.php. live.
11. Web site: Wilderness Medical Society. Wms.org. 24 December 2014. 22 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150222121953/http://wms.org/fawm/. live.
12. Web site: Wilderness Medical Society . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140824030908/http://wms.org/fawm/acad_faqs.asp#13 . 24 August 2014 . 24 December 2014 . Wms.org.
13. Web site: Master Fellow. wms.org. 16 June 2021. 24 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200117/https://m.wms.org/fawm.asp?page=masters. live.
14. Web site: FAWM Required Topics . Wilderness Medical Society . 2009-06-17 . 2010-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100113001543/http://www.wms.org/fawm/required_topics.asp . live .
15. Web site: Askew, E. Wayne . Nutrition at High Altitude . Wilderness Medical Society . 2009-06-17 . 2009-05-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090517064249/http://www.wms.org/news/altitude.asp . live .
16. Web site: Becoming a Fellow... . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20090106005356/http://wms.org/fawm/acad_information.asp . 2009-01-06 . 2009-06-17 . Wilderness Medical Society.
17. Web site: WMS CME Conferences. Wms.org. 24 December 2014. 21 September 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140921134159/http://wms.org/conferences/default.asp. live.
18. Web site: News Article. 2020-05-29. 2021-02-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20210224202054/https://www.angliastudent.com/news/article/parasoc/Guest-Speaker-Series-Kicked-Off/. live.
19. Web site: Remote Medic UK. 2020-05-29. 2020-02-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20200217020518/http://www.remotemedic.org.uk/about.php. live.
20. Web site: Bromley, Paul – University of Essex – School of Biological Sciences. 2020-05-29. 2021-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20211015163515/https://www.x-mol.com/university/faculty/34664. live.
21. Web site: Dr Sundeep Dhillon – CASE. 2021-08-20. case-medicine.co.uk. 2021-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20210820194338/http://case-medicine.co.uk/Dr-Sundeep-Dhillon. live.
22. Web site: Faculty of Prehospital Care Newsletter. Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. 28 May 2020. 15 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211015163515/https://fphc.rcsed.ac.uk/media/2619/fphc-newsletter-july-2018_draft_v2_5.pdf. live.
23. Web site: Hannah Evans FRGS . LinkedIn.
24. Web site: Waves of Health and EverlineMD.com. everlinemd. 24 December 2014. 24 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141224205846/http://www.everlinemd.com/. live.
25. Web site: The Masters: Master Fellows of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. wms.org/magazine. 27 August 2018. 4 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170204165922/http://www.wildernessmedicinemagazine.com/1105/Master-Fellows-of-the-WMS. live.
26. Web site: rhodrijordan . 2021-08-20 . Twitter . en . live . 2021-08-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210820194337/https://twitter.com/rhodrijordan.
27. Web site: Tom MALLINSON Prehospital Care Doctor BSc (Hons) MBChB PGCHE MRCGP(2020) MCPara MCoROM FAWM FHEA FRGS NHS Highland, Inverness Emergency Department. 2021-08-20. ResearchGate. en. 2021-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20210820194337/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tom-Mallinson-2. live.
28. Mallinson. Tom. 2011-12-05. Wilderness medicine: a fellowship programme. International Paramedic Practice. 1. 2. 80–83. 10.12968/ippr.2011.1.2.80. 2052-4889.
29. Web site: CoROM – The College of Remote and Offshore Medicine Foundation. corom.org. 2021-08-20. 2021-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20210820194521/https://corom.org/. live.
30. Web site: International Committee Members. 2021-08-20. Mysite. en. 2021-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20210820194338/https://www.specializedmedicalstandards.org/commitee-members-of-aec. live.
31. Web site: Adventure Medic – The Team . 2020-05-28 . 2020-09-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200921005936/https://www.theadventuremedic.com/team/ . live .
32. Web site: 7th Wave Redirector . 2020-05-28 . 2021-10-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211015163517/https://deathzone.7thwave.io/blog/757 . live .
33. Web site: Dr Matt Wilkes – CASE . 2020-05-28 . 2020-01-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200129005602/http://www.case-medicine.co.uk/Dr-Matt-Wilkes . live .
34. Web site: Dr Matt Wilkes – Mountain Rescue England & Wales Conference . 2020-05-28 . 2020-10-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201020145451/http://mrew-conference.co.uk/dr-matt-wilkes/ . live .
35. Web site: Wilderness Medicine Educational Events. Wms.org. 24 December 2014. 3 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190935/http://wms.org/conferences/calendar.asp. live.
36. Web site: Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine – CoROM. 2021-08-20. en-GB. 2021-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20210820192724/https://corom.org/wms/. live.
37. Web site: Wilderness Medicine CME \- Advanced Wilderness Life Support. Awls.org. 24 December 2014. 12 April 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040412005544/http://www.awls.org/. live.
38. Web site: NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute. Nols.edu. 24 December 2014. 17 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170417084329/https://www.nols.edu/en/courses/wilderness-medicine/. live.
39. Web site: Wilderness Medicine Section. Acep.org. 24 December 2014. 19 November 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101119105139/http://acep.org/ACEPmembership.aspx?id=30284. live.
40. Web site: Everest ER – Himalayan Rescue Association. Everester.org. 24 December 2014. 17 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141217075902/http://everester.org/. live.
41. Web site: IFAM - the Institute for Altitude Medicine in Telluride, Colorado - IFAM. www.altitudemedicine.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20090427151017/http://www.altitudemedicine.org/wildmed.php . April 27, 2009.
42. Web site: Home Ecomed. Ecomed.org.ar. 24 December 2014.
43. Web site: Waves of Health website. Wavesofhealth.org. 24 December 2014. 22 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141222014647/http://thewavesofhealth.org/intro.htm. live.
44. Web site: Google Translate. Samm.org.ar. 24 December 2014. 29 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141229070116/http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.samm.org.ar%2F&ei=R6feSeiTMcTfnQfNtNS3CQ&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dsamm.org.ar%2F%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG. live.
45. Web site: WildMedix website. WildMedix.com. 15 January 2016. 28 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160128062825/http://www.wildmedix.com/. live.
46. Web site: Wilderness Medical Society Affiliates. Wilderness Medical Society. 15 June 2020. 15 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200615062556/https://wms.org/affiliates/. live.