THE Elective blog

TK Student Note

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 10:13:37 -0500

Greetings from Lubbock, TX, where it snowed yesterday and is cold. I'm here getting some information on pediatric oral hygiene--strange what doctors can get into.

Progress continues with the program for the February elective which is fast approaching. I hope to have a few more speaker-topic-time slots filled in; when it is close to done, I'll be sharing that with you, too.

My introduction reminds me to emphasize the fickle nature of Smoky Mountain weather in February. You need to be prepared for wet (rain, sleet, or snow, mud and/or ice), warm to 70s, cold to single digits (F; -20C), pleasant and mild to fierce storms (rare)/toronados. It is great. Remember, no bad weather, just inadequate clothing/untrained people.

Also, those of you with history of wheezing--you may have an exacerbation with all the plants in the area. Please come prepared with albuterol and prednisone rapid taper "just in case". And if you have sensativity to rhus, poison ivy, you will be at high risk even in winter. Be sure you can recognize dormant vines, stay alert when outdoors, and have whatever treatment you find effective.

We will be having three "field trips". Drivers, you may be drafted to take a car full. First, Thursday morning, Feb 2, we will be hosted by the Blount County Sheriff's Office at their training are for an introduction to light arms--hand guns, shot guns, assault rifles; then back to camp for a full afternoon and evening. The first Friday, Feb 3, we will spend the day in Knoxville, and you will be on your own for dinner. Saturday the 4th we begin at the regular time for a nearly full day of talks and skills, ending mid afternoon, and you will be on your own for meals until breakfast, Monday, Feb 6.

After our usual day Friday, Feb 10, we will head to a yet to be decided remote location where we will set up tents, fix dinner, and have some "in the field" presentations. As time and interest (and weather) allow, there may be time for skill practice. Saturday morning we will focus on moving water--recognizing hazards, crossing streams, staying alive when swept in white water, throwing/receiving a safety line, and a bit of rafting in white water. So we will all need to be prepared to fix breakfast/lunch Saturday, and some of you may experience first hand how appetite increases when cold and active. Details are still in the works; I hope we will have access to wet suits for real time experience.

Best to you all. As you have questions or concerns, let me know. Stand by for being hounded for your arrival details. Thanks to you who have stepped forward for IT consultations. I'll be hoping for some Saturday arrivals to help with Sunday's mass influx and airport runs. Life is full of junk; deal with the junk, but be alert for and focus on the joys.

Come rested; I'll try to get you back rested and energetic. TK

WMS12studsum20.doc

TK Student Note

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 09:36:25 -0500

Well, I see that I got the wrong date on the last note. Oh, well....

Let me outline what I expect to happen as we gather Sunday, January 29. I will plan to arrive at Wesley Woods Saturday the 28th, and anyone flying 3 or more time zones who can get a better price to arrive Saturday may do so; and anyone who can save some on the ticket will be able to lodge at Wesley Woods Saturday, but no meals. And those who do come on Saturday will be drafted to help set up, get oriented, then help with Sunday arrivals.

Those of you flying in will need to let me know your details--air lines, flight number, expected time of arrival, hopefully including all legs of your flight. That can come after Christmas.

Drivers will be able to arrive with GPS. Anyone wanting directions to the camp, let me know. I so far have not gone GPS, but reflecting on the past few years, I may be the only one at the elective still trying to navigate with maps and narrative.

Anyway, I have divided you into three groups and four teams. On Monday and Tuesday there will be three sessions with Wesley Woods staff--hence the three groups. I will request that each group select a spokes person so I will be able to communicate with all of you with the group of three--and I will depend on input for many details of specifics of our time together.

Starting Monday afternoon, January 30, prehospital sessions will begin. For skill sessions there will be four stations for a couple sessions--hence the four teams. The first session will be a show and tell when we introduce our selves.

Another early activity will be to begin setting groups and plans for the final back pack. Details will be evolved.

Soon I will share the rough schedule. Be advised the schedule is tentative until it is history. We will be in class the first Saturday until mid afternoon, then off Sunday. The second Friday we will go as a group after the afternoon activities to set up a camp and fix the evening meal to assure that we all have adequate gear for the back pack. That Saturday we will have a focus on moving water--hazards, stream crossing, paddling, safety, rescue. There will also be several topics covered in the field. There will be time to practice fire building, knots,camp craft. I anticipate wrapping up mid afternoon, then off again until Monday AM. The third week we will wrap up Thursday so you will have three days to plan an activity from Thursday afternoon until Sunday supper when you need to be back to meet the mentors who will be sharing the back pack with each of the several groups.

And now I'll copy the details I have. Note: nine of you have not commented on my summary from your application. In a week or two I will be sending out all of the summaries, so if you wish to have a change, time is getting away.

At last notice, there were two remaining slots if there is any interest among your peers. I anticipate that the very high quality of the experience will continue in 2012. Best to all of you interviewing for residencies.

We are having mild weather. After several sunny days we are expecting storms the next day or two. There are the seasonal enlarging black bird flocks. Other signs of season change are severe storms, increased road kill, especially skunks, and AM fog. The deer population is also increasing, and one attacked my Saturn SL2 as I was driving at night. So new windshield cracks and "total loss" for insurance. Hope to stay on the road long enough to get to 300,000 miles--70,000 to go. Life is good. TK

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS:

I gave an overview of what to expect as you arrive January 29 in my last note. So far none of you has come forward to keep the computer/projector/record DVD/CD and such under control. By now you should be convinced I need all the help I can get!

One of the less popular aspects of the experience is the "student presentation". I have tried a number of ways to do this, and am very open to suggestions. One of the goals of the elective is to have knowledgeable professionals provide accurate and useful information to peers and public. So each of you will make a presentation to the entire group about a topic relevent to wilderness medicine. When the elective began 10 years ago, each student was assigned a topic from the WMS practice guidelines, ed by William Forgey, MD. Since everyone had the book, and many topics were also formal faculty presentations, there was overwhelming resistance from the students. In an evolving process, you may choose a topic which I will consider for appropriateness. Then with concurrence you will prepare and present to the group for 10-15 minutes and then take questions/comments. Power point is not forbidden, but frowned upon by me (the IT challenged) since sharing may often be most useful in informal settings--hostels, camp fires, buses. There will be a collection of resources/books available at the camp, so this need not be started until after you arrive. But by first Wednesday I will be taking volunteers, and if no volunteers, I will choose a volunteer. All presentations have been useful--as both positive and negative examples. There have been songs, skits, demonstrations, skill teaching, and conventional lectures. I do not want this to be a source of great stress or anxiety, but not a casual off the cuff either. Let me know if you have questions or wish to propose a topic.

Cooling weather here in middle TN. Sunny and breezy today, 60s. Rain and cooler predicted. Most deciduous leaves down. Demented deer remain a concern. TK

Report from GSMNP

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 09:30:49 -0500

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=hszagubab&v=001Mk_gIOuRuDbJ-XiwLiExskqxKdlRe13HyP9mttk5XBqYdRy6yK82ZnsZ00JHc0Yzzzj32QdlVmtP_EUOaZPeqe2OABL4tRbTZsTFko5_yXY%3D

GEAR LIST

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:40:52 -0400

Attached, please find a suggested gear list for the 2012 Elective. Now is a good time to look it over, see what you have, what you need, and ask any and all questions regarding the list. When we are are at Camp Wesley Woods, we there will be an official demonstration of “what to where when camping” and ample opportunity to ask questions in person as well as visit the local outdoor gear store which often has excellent post-holiday sales in the month of February.

EQUIPMENT LIST .doc LIST .doc

UPDATE FOR 2012 APPLICANTS

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 15:16:06 -0400

Due to a medical emergency of our main administrative staff member, there is a delay in getting through all of the applications. Please accept our apologies for the delay, and you will hear from us as soon as we are given the complete list of applicants and the applications which are in the Salt Lake City office. Again, our sincere apologies.

Liz & Tom