Wilderness Medicine Fellowship

The UVM Health Network Wilderness Medicine Fellowship strives to foster active participation in multiple domains of wilderness medicine. Each component of the fellowship intentionally builds critical skills, allowing fellows the strongest possible preparation for a career in wilderness medicine.


Expedition Medicine: JIRP: The fellow will serve as the expedition physician for glacier scientists with the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP), participating in medical kit preparation and learning glacier travel and rescue skills. At the end of the year, they will assist the Medical Director in screening medical forms and adjusting medical kits for the next season. Aconcagua: Fellows in our program can work with mountain medicine physicians on Aconcagua, the highest peak in the western hemisphere (22,837 ft). They will gain experience in managing conditions like high altitude pulmonary edema and frostbite while coordinating helicopter evacuations and logistical preparations for international alpine expeditions.
Wilderness Medicine Education: The fellow will direct two WM electives for fourth-year medical students, and, with the support of the Fellowship Director, will learn curriculum design, syllabus planning, and direct teaching in wilderness environments. One course will take place in the fall with warm weather, and a second will be on snow in January. Each course is a 2 week outdoors intensive experience.
Wilderness EMS/SAR: The Fellow will work directly with the Vermont State SAR Director at Incident command for large SAR situations in Vermont and will engage in strategic policy meetings and discussions, including working with our faculty and resident team to teach backcountry protocol training for teams across the state. Camel’s Hump Backcountry Rescue (CHBR): The fellow will join Camel’s Hump Backcountry rescue team, and may be on-call 24-7 while they are in VT to respond to local rescues, participate in team SAR training, and teach medical topics. Stowe Mountain Rescue and Colchester Technical Rescue, Dive rescue, as well as the Army Warfare School in Jericho, VT, all offer High angle and technical rescue trainings that the fellow may add for further skills development and training. Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM): Fellows who don’t yet have a DiMM certification will be supported to complete a DiMM depending on available space with the Wilderness Medical Society.
Wilderness Medicine Policy, Protocols, and Quality Assurance The fellow will join the working group of experts developing and amending the VT state EMS backcountry protocols and team training program, and will share responsibility for the quality assurance process for backcountry calls in which the protocols are applied.
Wilderness Medicine Mountain Operations The fellow may work over the winter ski season at 3 Peaks Ski Clinic, staffing a small mountain clinic at the base of Sugarbush mountain with the option to join the ski patrol. In the Spring, the fellow may travel back to Alaska to work with the Denali Park Service at Basecamp for an immersive mountain ops experience during the climbing season, and an additional curriculum on glacial travel and rescue.

Expedition Medicine:

JIRP: The fellow will serve as the expedition physician for glacier scientists with the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP), participating in medical kit preparation and learning glacier travel and rescue skills. At the end of the year, they will assist the Medical Director in screening medical forms and adjusting medical kits for the next season.

Aconcagua: Fellows in our program can work with mountain medicine physicians on Aconcagua, the highest peak in the western hemisphere (22,837 ft). They will gain experience in managing conditions like high altitude pulmonary edema and frostbite while coordinating helicopter evacuations and logistical preparations for international alpine expeditions.

Wilderness Medicine Education:

The fellow will direct two WM electives for fourth-year medical students, and, with the support of the Fellowship Director, will learn curriculum design, syllabus planning, and direct teaching in wilderness environments. One course will take place in the fall with warm weather, and a second will be on snow in January. Each course is a 2 week outdoors intensive experience.

Wilderness EMS/SAR:

The Fellow will work directly with the Vermont State SAR Director at Incident command for large SAR situations in Vermont and will engage in strategic policy meetings and discussions, including working with our faculty and resident team to teach backcountry protocol training for teams across the state.

Camel’s Hump Backcountry Rescue (CHBR): The fellow will join Camel’s Hump Backcountry rescue team, and may be on-call 24-7 while they are in VT to respond to local rescues, participate in team SAR training, and teach medical topics. Stowe Mountain Rescue and Colchester Technical Rescue, Dive rescue, as well as the Army Warfare School in Jericho, VT, all offer High angle and technical rescue trainings that the fellow may add for further skills development and training.

Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM): Fellows who don’t yet have a DiMM certification will be supported to complete a DiMM depending on available space with the Wilderness Medical Society.

Wilderness Medicine Policy, Protocols, and Quality Assurance

The fellow will join the working group of experts developing and amending the VT state EMS backcountry protocols and team training program, and will share responsibility for the quality assurance process for backcountry calls in which the protocols are applied.

Wilderness Medicine Mountain Operations

The fellow may work over the winter ski season at 3 Peaks Ski Clinic, staffing a small mountain clinic at the base of Sugarbush mountain with the option to join the ski patrol. In the Spring, the fellow may travel back to Alaska to work with the Denali Park Service at Basecamp for an immersive mountain ops experience during the climbing season, and an additional curriculum on glacial travel and rescue.