Division of Wilderness Medicine
About the Division
The UC San Diego Wilderness Medicine (WM) Division has been at the forefront of wilderness and austere environment healthcare for many years. We are committed to education, research, and community engagement.
Our mission is to advance the science and practice of wilderness medicine through exceptional training, interdisciplinary collaboration, and global engagement—while preparing healthcare providers to deliver care in the most challenging environments on Earth.
Education & Training
Medical Student, Resident, and Fellow Education
We are deeply committed to training the next generation of wilderness medicine clinicians and scholars.
Clerkships & Electives:
EMED 427: Wilderness Medicine Clerkship — 4-week course for 4th year medical students. This clerkship aims to provide students with the critical thinking, applied hands-on training experience and improvisation skills necessary to deliver high-quality care in austere environments with varying resources and limited access to health care.
EMED 275: Intro to Wilderness Medicine — Preclinical elective for 1st and 2nd year medical students and pharmacy students. The rotation includes a combination of didactic teaching weekly along with a simulation hike through Torrey Pines at the end of the course. EMED 275 is a practical course covering diagnosis and treatment of injuries and illnesses encountered in the wilderness environment including cold, heat, high altitude, diving medicine, outdoor orthopedic trauma, plant and marine life poisonings, and survival in the wilderness.
Resident Electives — Personalized wilderness electives, ski clinic experiences, research, and pursuit of professional certifications (DiMM, DiDMM, FAWM). We have trained UCSD and visiting EM, IM and FM residents. For resident and fellow trainees interested in rotating with us please contact Maeve Malong mmalong@health.ucsd.edu
Experiential Learning:
- WM Simulation Day — Annual day of wilderness medicine training for residents and students that has included mini MedWAR, Mass Casualty Incident training, and wilderness-based case simulations
- Monthly WM Journal Clubs — Fun and educational monthly journal clubs that combine activities outdoors with education and fellowship. Journal club is open to residents and medical students in addition to fellows and faculty
- Our WMS-accredited Wilderness Medicine Fellowship provides intensive training in wilderness medicine, expeditionary care, academic leadership, and global health.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Joint events and journal clubs with Toxicology and Hyperbaric Medicine (HBO) Divisions
- Lectures to trainees in Sports Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine
- Wilderness workshop leader at SoCal Emergency Care Conference (2023, 2024) for RNs and techs
Wilderness Life Support for Medical Providers (WLS:MP)
This advanced training in wilderness medicine care course is offered to medical students, residents, fellows, faculty, nurses, and paramedics. This training broadens wilderness emergency preparedness across disciplines. We offer this course 1-2 times per year.Research & Scholarship
We are proud to support trainee-led research and academic mentorship.
- Peer-reviewed publications that include mentorship of and authorship by trainees, majority as first authors
- Multiple ongoing research projects involving residents, fellows, and students
- Interdivisional studies with Ultrasound, Toxicology, and Hyperbaric Medicine
- Research funding support from the Wilderness Medical Society and other sources
- Division faculty hold leadership roles in the Wilderness Medical Society and editorial roles in the Wilderness & Environmental Medicine Journal and Wilderness Medicine Magazine
Clinical & Global Impact
Global Health Engagement
- Monthly emergency care education sessions with the Ipalamwa Clinic in Tanzania
- Nepal rotation with Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital
- Multiple other international global health opportunities, with prior fellows and trainees rotating in Chile, Peru, Haiti, Mexico, Myanmar
Community Involvement
- Active medical directorship and collaboration with San Diego Mountain Rescue Team
- Provide instruction at multiple community based medical training programs, including US Sailing Safety at Sea Seminars, Backcountry Maritime Guides and AdventureMed.
Clinical Services
Travel Medicine Clinic — The Wilderness Medicine and Global Emergency Medicine faculty are excited to launch a new travel health clinic soon (anticipated early 2026) that will provide comprehensive care and pre-travel support for global health, expedition medicine, and travelers
