Resident and Medical Student Education in Wilderness Medicine

We offer both a first/second year medical student pre-clinical elective (EMED 275:Intro to Wilderness Medicine) and a fourth-year clerkship (EMED 427: Medicine in the Wild).  These courses cover the 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. The pre-clinical elective includes a simulation hike and the fourth-year clerkship includes field experiences in remote areas of Southern California. The Wilderness Medicine fellow works directly with the course directors to create the course schedule, present lectures, and assist in directing both courses. 

In addition, there are multiple wilderness medicine events sponsored by WMIG, EMIG and the UCSD Department of Emergency Medicine throughout the year that are open to all medical students. 

The Wilderness Medicine fellow participates in preparing and presenting on the fundamentals of wilderness medicine to residents, faculty, and medical students as part of the Department of Emergency Medicine Tuesday Conferences, developing and executing cases for residents and medical students at Simulation Center and leading 1-2 emergency residency journal clubs dedicated to current research in wilderness medicine.

Related Links

• Medical Student Clerkship in Wilderness Medicine