Wilderness medicine is a medical term used to describe the practice of emergency medicine in settings far removed from traditional medical care resources and support staff. The most common examples of wilderness medicine occur during outdoor recreation activities, scientific research and exploration projects, industrial projects, and disaster relief efforts. Due to the growing popularity of all of these areas, the practice of wilderness medicine has become more important than ever.
Wilderness medicine research initiatives encompass a variety of studies and projects, ranging from the nature of poisonous jellyfish stings to methods of minimizing illnesses in ultramarathon runners.
The world’s first wilderness medicine specialty group, the Stanford Wilderness Medicine Fellowship at Stanford University, was established in 2003. More information about the school’s 2-year fellowship, which has been designed for graduates of emergency medicine residency programs, is available at www.emed.stanford.edu.