Medicine - Wilderness Medicine

Catalog description

The purpose of the 4th year Wilderness Medicine selective is to allow students to participate in a unique setting as medics in the Philmont Scout Ranch Infirmary in Cimarron, New Mexico. Students will provide care for Philmont staff and scouting participants. Care will be provided both in the Infirmary, as an acute walk-in care clinic, and in the backcountry where staff and scouts participate in high-adventure activities such as hiking, horseback riding, climbing, and fishing. The students will be the frontline healthcare support under the supervision of attending physicians. Students will also provide medical support through radio calls to the backcountry and work with emergency medical technicians (EMTs) for transport and onsite medical care. This rotation is an opportunity to provide medical care without technological conveniences such as in-house lab support or radiology support. This rotation also emphasizes the importance of triage to a higher level of care when necessary, as well as procedures such as suturing, injections, EKG administration, and IV placement. This rotation emphasizes increased patient care responsibility and autonomy. This is a unique opportunity to practice medicine in a rustic environment, highlighting the necessity for history taking and physical exam. Clinical work will be supplemented by virtual training and in-person training before the rotation. Prerequisite: Physical Diagnosis, Pathology and Pharmacology.