September 6, 2023 

The Wilderness Medical Society has been an integral part of my personal and professional growth since I joined the Society in 1990. I have watched our organization grow and evolve over the last few decades. Many of my professional mentors have been leaders of the WMS who demonstrated that one could truly live their passion whilst contributing to the knowledge of wilderness medicine. 

The WMS recently transitioned to a new association management IT system. This was shepherded by our two most recent presidents, Jamie Lieberman and Ian Wedmore, led by our CEO, Renita Fonseca, and successful due to the monumental efforts of the WMS staff. 

In October 2022, the WMS collaboration with the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital was celebrated with a remarkable inauguration ceremony. As one of two trip leaders for the adventure CME trek that celebrated this event, I had the opportunity to travel with members on the Everest Base Camp route. We began as strangers and left as family. 

The WMS Board of Directors held a strategic planning event in September 2022. Through a guided process, members defined the values we hold to be the foundation of the Society – including dedication to diversity and inclusivity. These are not just words; the Conference Planning Committee has successfully filled our speaker rosters with presenters who embody this directive from the membership – new expert speakers representing great variety across certifications and specialties. Our Board of Directors is the most diverse in our history. 

As our society continues to grow, I look forward to focusing on the following goals:
• Introduction of the new online engagement platform, Mobilize (watch for more info on this coming tomorrow!).
• Expanding our capacity for educational credits by pursuing CAPCE accreditation to serve the educational needs of our pre-hospital emergency medical service providers. 
• Building a robust Adventure CME program.
• Continuing to exercise and reinforce our values and beliefs of kindness, service, inclusivity, education, and stewardship of the natural world. 

As members, I encourage you get more involved. Here are a few ways: 
• Connect with others who share similar interests through the special interest online communities (SIComs).
• Submit a GME or 14ers proposal – an avenue toward becoming a conference speaker.
• Participate in one of our many upcoming Adventure CME trips – expand your knowledge in amazing environments. 
• Use your voice to guide the society forward. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] to share your thoughts/ideas. 

I am honored to serve as president of our Society, collaborating with officers Ian Wedmore (Past President), Shana Tarter (President-Elect/Treasurer), Stephanie Lareau (Secretary), and the rest of the WMS Board of Directors as the WMS continues to evolve. I am excited to see where our journey takes us as we continue to inspire you, our members, to be alive in the wild. 

Jennifer Dow
WMS President, 2023-2024
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October 11, 2022

First, a huge thank you. The WMS is a great organization and community because of the hard work and dedication of our CEO, our WMS staff, our highly motivated board, committee leaders, and all of you, our WMS members. You all deserve thanks for the WMS being what it is today. (If you're not a WMS member yet, we hope you'll consider joining once our new website is up!)

I’m honored to be able to serve as your WMS board president for 2022-2023, and what a great time to be in the WMS! We made it through the last couple COVID years with an increased membership, strong financial position, and are now about to launch into the next stage of the WMS. 

My goals as president are to continue the advancement of the WMS as the center of science-based wilderness medicine excellence and serve as the go-to location for all things wilderness medicine, to support your excitement and enthusiasm for the society, to support our move to the new WMS 3.0, and to help us all be alive in the wild!

It was great seeing so many of you at the Snowmass meeting this August and hearing all the great things everyone is doing. I am very excited that we are now back to not just in-person meetings but have also entered into a new era of hybrid meetings, which allows members from all over the world to join in, even if time, space, or funding prevent it in person. The new WMS branding is out, we had a first look at the new website which is amazing, and even more great things are on the horizon – exciting times, indeed!

Some of these amazing things to come will include the full launch of our new website in the next week or two, along with an upgrade to a new association management IT system and subsequent to this, the ability to make our certification programs much more user-friendly. To get to this point, we are currently working through a heavy lift which, once completed, will allow us to really bring the WMS to its next stage. The downside, of course, is we must configure, install, and transition to this new system and website, causing some "down time" for the website, which we're currently in the midst of. While our goal is for this transition to be quick and smooth, I’m sure many of you have gone through such an IT upgrade at some point and seen how it can easily go sideways, and take longer than expected. There will be a big learning curve, and it will take time to refine all the new processes, so bear with us if we hit a hiccup or two during this process. 

I am continuously impressed with the motivation and energy of our WMS members and everything you want to do with and for the society. You may have heard about the recent restructuring and improvement of our committees and special interest groups, which will make it even easier for you to check out and become involved in whatever aspect of the WMS interests you. If you’re interested in becoming more deeply involved in the WMS, serving on a committee is a great avenue, or if you just want to check things out or be in the loop, you should get involved with one or even several special interest communities (SIComs). More information about SIComs will be shared later this fall.

All of our board and staff members, myself included, are here to help you in your quest to be “alive in the wild.” If you’re reading this, you are already part of the WMS excitement, but in case you’re wondering how to more closely follow what’s going on and get involved, there are several ways. Visit wms.org once the new site is up and running (we'll notify you when it's ready), or if you’re not already engaged with us on social media, look for us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

You can reach out to me or any of the board members if you need guidance on other ways to become involved. You can reach all of us officers directly by clicking on our names on the website, or e-mail the entire board via [email protected].

We have a great winter conference coming up at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, CA, and its new Alpine and Palisades connection gondola! Start planning now to see great presentations, learn some cool new things, meet other people doing awesome things in the wilderness, and finally get some outstanding turns in at some great Tahoe terrain. I hope to see you there. Now get out into the wild!

Ian Wedmore
WMS President, 2022-2023
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August 21, 2021

Community:
As I reflect upon the Wilderness Medical Society and all that it means, here at 7000 ft. in the wilds of Idaho, I am reminded of a 2011 documentary called “Happy.” The authors interviewed hundreds of people and researchers throughout the globe and tried to distill what it is that makes people truly happy (or satisfied, fulfilled, etc). The research identified that having more money and buying more “stuff” does not make your life happier, but these three important components do:

1. Friendships and regular interactions with friends/family
   
2. Intellectual stimulation, such as learning to play music or learning a new language
   
3. Doing something to make the world a better place, from picking up microtrash in the wilderness to volunteering for a non-profit
   

It struck me that the Wilderness Medical Society embodies all three of these elements. We are a community of 4200+ members worldwide with a passion for wilderness medicine education and a shared goal of helping others to be alive in the wild!

Diving deeper, the WMS:

1. Helps develop meaningful relationships. Whether it’s your next research partner, hiking buddy, travel companion, colleague, or mentor, it’s these bonds with like-minded peers that set our organization apart. We aren’t just a one-and-done event, but rather, a network of individuals who share similar professions and passions. With monthly webinars, social media, and extensive networking times at conferences, it’s easier than ever to make new and strengthen existing connections.
   
2. Provides opportunity for you to be intellectually challenged. Are you working on your FAWM, DiMM, and/or DiDMM certifications? Are you attending our events. There is no shortage of great material, offered in so many different ways – the aforementioned certifications, monthly Fireside Chats, online recorded lectures, virtual/in-person conferences, research, and publications such as the Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (WEM) journal and the online Wilderness Medicine Magazine, which all allow you to continually exercise and challenge your brain.
   
3. Make a difference in the world. Two key beliefs of the WMS are education and service. This means seeking knowledge and paying it forward, as well as seeing the need and filling the gap. The WMS is a 501c3 non-profit organization that offers myriad ways to make the world a better place. In addition to the thousands of members who protect, nurture, and save lives both professionally and on a volunteer basis, you can also take pride in the involvement of the WMS in the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital which is providing quality, accessible healthcare to the lower Solukhumbu region in Nepal. We hope to return to the site in 2022, and I invite you to join us for that Adventure CME trek. We also have committees such as SAR, Global Health, Disaster and Humanitarian, and JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) which are working together to tackle a wide array of challenges. Volunteer at a conference, write an article, be a peer reviewer for the journal, serve on a committee, work on a research project, etc. The offerings for involvement and ways to serve the wilderness medicine community are boundless.
   

So, if you’re looking to improve your quality of life, look no further. The WMS is a one-stop shop for fulfilling these “components of happiness,” and your increased involvement in the WMS will almost assuredly improve the quality of YOUR life!! It has certainly done that for me.

Looking at the year ahead of me as WMS President, I am once again reminded of the depth of talent that surrounds us in this Society. For me, being president is all about leading, building consensus, and helping our Board of Directors be as strategic and productive as possible. I will continue to push for this, and we will improve upon the work we have been doing these past several years. Here are a few of the things I’m looking forward to:

• The WMS has embarked upon an entire website and member database overhaul with plans to complete and launch in 2022. This will make it easier for the WMS staff to serve its members, make the website easier to navigate, and allow for increased connections among members. Plus, a new design means new and very cool WMS swag!
  
• After three successful virtual conferences, the WMS will venture forth with our first hybrid in-person/ virtual conference this February in Jackson, WY.
  
• Reboot of Adventure CME as we continue to emerge from the Covid pandemic
  
• Utilizing our rebranding to improve our messaging and communication, both to members and to the huge numbers of potential new members
  

No matter what the WMS ventures into next, I’m confident we’ll do it with enthusiasm, inclusion, and the passion that the WMS embodies – being alive in the wild!! Our Society has grown in its influence and impact through member engagement and input since its founders gathered in 1983. Your participation is key, and it can reflect your personal interests. Contribute! We are going places, doing good work, having fun and all together, in COMMUNITY!

Jamie Lieberman
WMS President, 2021-2022
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September 15, 2020

Dear WMS Members,

I’m writing as the snow melts off the broken tree branches from a record early winter storm in Colorado. Wildfires burn in California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado. People have lost homes and acres of wilderness destroyed. The SARS-CoV2 pandemic has closed schools and businesses. The injustices of our society are on the forefront of national conversation and movement. These are stressful times. Times that call for escaping to wild places. Times that call for resilience. Times that call for self-care. In short, good times to be involved in wilderness medicine. Because, where else do you get the physical and mental health benefits of nature, the resilience and flexibility training of back country survival, and the break from the daily stresses of our front country practices? Answer: the WMS!

The WMS has demonstrated our organizational resilience with a move to greater virtual engagement, staring with the phenomenally successful summer conference. Our ability to interact online has created several new opportunities for members. The Fireside Chat series launched last week with our first research discussion. I hope to see you at the next one, “Meet the President,” when Membership Council Co-Chair Dr. Emily Sagalyn will interview me. Finally, the Women in Wilderness Medicine (WiWM) committee began a Women’s Leadership series of monthly interactive zoom seminars. Contact WiWM committee chairs for more info on this empowering program.

My way to reclaim a sense of calm and wellbeing in chaos is to run the trails behind my house or spend a weekend in the mountains. Apparently, I’m not alone in seeking peace outdoors. The pandemic and our national stress level has people out in record numbers. Trailhead parking lots overflow. Bikes, stand-up paddles boards, and camping gear are sold out around the country. More people in the wilderness means more need for the kinds of skills WMS offers. Remember too, throngs of potentially unprepared backcountry travelers pose risks to our SAR colleagues. These teams of volunteers may not have the PPE needed to protect them, or they may be stretched thin by record numbers of calls. WMS members can help by educating friends, family, and local organizations about backcountry safety in general, and regarding COVID-19 specifically. Wilderness Medicine Magazine has a whole section devoted to COVID-19 in the outdoors with practical advice for all.

Your WMS board is taking COVID-19 precautions seriously. We don’t want members unnecessarily exposed, or to be disease vectors. Therefore, we are creating new safety guidelines for our student electives and Adventure CME programs. Student electives will be held virtually, with local small-group, in-person activities, if possible. The Canyonlands Adventure is rescheduled for spring to get safety procedures in place. Although our international offerings are on hold for the time-being, check our web page for updates. With appropriate precautions, we will continue to learn and play together in the backcountry. In the meantime, our virtual winter meeting will bring you the best and latest in wilderness education and research remotely.

Regardless of the pandemic, as president, I pledge to move the WMS forward. It’s worth reiterating the values statement the board of directors endorsed at our last meeting:

The WMS recognizes the importance and benefits of a diverse and inclusive society. We are committed to fostering an environment of acceptance that is equitable to all. We recognize the rights of all individuals to mutual respect without bias based on differences of any kind. We value our individual and group differences. Our commitment to inclusiveness will be evident in our policies and procedures, as part of our strategic plan, and within our organizational goals.

The board is developing new conference and membership policies to support these values. In addition to the goal of improving diversity and inclusion in the society, I will continue to promote research and innovation. I began my term on the board as Research Committee chair and I strongly believe that without research the field of wilderness medicine cannot move forward. The WMS is the only wilderness medicine organization that funds grants, offers a research forum for presentation of the latest findings, and issues evidence-based guidelines to help wilderness medicine practitioners. We will continue to grow these programs.

The board has made significant progress on our Society goals set three years ago at a strategic retreat. Those achievements include a new organizational and board structure, updated bylaws, additional staff, improved marketing, a successful regional conference in Stowe, GME fellowship certification, and a growing membership. The Wongchhu hospital construction project is complete. We are adding new specialty pre-conferences. Given these accomplishments, the board will be revisiting our three- and five-year goals soon. We want to hear from members about what you want from the WMS. Please feel free to reach out with your ideas and aspirations. This is our society.

Despite the current climate of uncertainty, I feel privileged to serve you as president. Muriel Strode’s words seem apt for leading the WMS in these times. She says, “I will not follow where the path may lead, but I will go where there is no path, and I will leave a trail.” I count on you, WMS members, to help me build that new trail, masks on, through the smoke, and together, for a strong WMS future.

Linda Keyes
WMS President, 2020-2021
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WMS Members:

As I step into the President position of the WMS, I am filled with a sense of excitement that reminds me of the reasons that I joined the WMS in the first place. The WMS leaders and members were my heroes – they were traveling the world practicing medicine in the most remote and austere locations. Now, new and younger people are doing similar amazing activities. I am lucky to view these adventures from a different vantage point, and they are still just as exciting. 

The WMS is heading in a great new direction. The board of directors is highly engaged and a new governance structure has been established to actively seek member feedback and participation. Four of our 12 board positions are women, and we will constantly be looking for ways to be inclusive and represent the WMS as a whole. The nomination process for leadership, awards, and other important positions is transparent and fair.

The board spent an entire day in Crested Butte at the Summer Conference reviewing the state of the organization along with member feedback from the recent survey sent out, and we’re considering changes based on that feedback. The following are just a handful of examples that resulted. 

We are committed to:
• further involving EMTs, paramedics, first responders, advanced medical providers, and other types of healthcare providers. In fact, 30% of the Crested Butte conference faculty consisted of these categories of healthcare professionals.
• varying topics and speakers at future conferences. We have lots of first-timers at conferences, and want them coming back year after year.
• updating our website to be more mobile- and user-friendly.
• simplifying and better communicating the FAWM process to help more individuals achieve the certification.
• selecting conference venues in beautiful locations that are also reasonably priced.

If you’re not already engaged with us on social media (@wildmedsociety) – you’re missing out! Don’t just take our word for it.  Here’s a recent quote from a member (Wilderness_pa) via Instagram: “Been following the @wildmedsociety annual conference through social media from afar- 2 years ago was the last time I was on the same continent as the conference (have big plans to be at the winter meeting next year). The WMS wasn’t really that active on social media up to about a year ago, but boy has that changed. If you don’t follow them on all the usual channels you’re missing out on a lot of real useful research and information on remote medicine delivery that is applicable across a number of disciplines.”

Get involved! Be the change you want to see in the WMS. We will be sharing a list of committees looking for volunteers in the next newsletter and you may reach out to the board members if you need guidance on other ways to become involved. You can reach the officers directly by clicking on their names, or e-mail [email protected].

My goal for this next year is to get as many new folks involved in wilderness medicine as possible. If you’re not a current member of the WMS, you may do so by visiting wms.org/join. The decision to step into the WMS has been one of the best and most rewarding that I have made. I’m glad you’ve joined the adventure! 

Scott McIntosh
WMS President, 2019-2020