VCOM - Auburn 2017 Yearbook

student organizations

Wilderness Medicine Society Committee Special Interest Group of ACOEP

Bill Hamrick, Chair

T he American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, founded in 1975, exists to support high quality emergency care, promote and protect the interests of Osteopathic emergency physicians, ensure the highest standards of postgraduate education and provide leadership in research through the Foundation for Osteopathic Emergency Medicine, in a distinct unified profession. VCOM’s chapter of ACOEP introduces students to the field of emergency medicine by providing speakers and by organizing clinical skills workshops. Students also organize activities in the SIM Center, and promote safety and medical education in the community. Another unique element of ACOEP is the wilderness medicine program. The VCOM-Auburn Emergency Medicine Club, a subgroup of ACOEP, sent three teams to MedWar Southeast 2016, a 16-mile wilderness medicine adventure race consisting of running, orienteering, mountain biking, kayaking and 50 wilderness medical questions, simulations and scenarios through the thicket, thorns, swamps and woods of Fort

Gordon, Georgia. All three teams finished, with two finishes in the top five out of 32 teams. The Septic Shockers team brought home the silver medal, which was not bad for their first year at the event. Later, in October 2016 at MedWar Tennessee, VCOM-Auburn teams placed first, third, sixth and nineteeth. Throughout the year, ACOEP had many guest speakers who discussed on topics such as the lifestyle of an emergency physician or specialty opportunities like pediatric emergency. ACOEP also hosted workshops to give students hands-on learning opportunities such as a workshop on airway and breathing and another workshop on heart and lung sounds. The entire club is involved in the community with volunteer opportunities like working the first aid tent for Auburn community events. This year, ACOEP hosted Disaster Day. This was a disaster simulation event where medical students worked alongside many first responders in the community to manage the disaster simulations. ACOEP looks forward to even more next year!

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