ExpedMed 2012 Brochure Available Now

Our 2012 ExpedMed brochure is now available.

If you're interested in learning more about the exciting CME activities offered by ExpedMed in the coming months, clink Here to download a pdf version of the brochure.

ExpedMed is a leading Expedition Medicine and Wilderness Medicine CME company.  In addition to the annual ExpedMed washington, DC conference, ExpedMed leads CME adventure trips to some of the most unique and remote places on earth.  

Private Island CME Adventure with ExpedMed

Just wanted to check in with you guys and let you know about a new CME trip we've developed over at ExpedMed for February 28 - March 3, 2013 .

The trip is on Little Saint Simons Island, a private island that allows no more than 32 overnight guests, has seven miles of pristine beach, is overrun with birds, gators, dolphins, crabs, fish, deer, and other amazing wildlife, and has won numerous travel awards for its incredible food, history, service, and sustainable eco-friendly policies.

Little Saint Simons Island is an incredible place.  It's been in private hands for over 100 years and was converted from a hunting lodge into an eco-resort.  I toured it recently just to make sure it's what we would need for an event, and it was awesome.  

While on the island, I saw a bald eagle adult sitting on its nest with a chick peeking out over the nest edge, two adult gators (and two young gators), lots of birds, and wandered along a beach with no one but my friends as far as I could see in any direction.

The food was incredible and the cottages were really cool-- many were originals that had been updated with AC and electricity (but no tv, thankfully!).

Although we’ve reserved the entire island, I only have 11 rooms available. The cost per room is $1,950 which includes three nights on the island, all food, and all activities for two people.  

Activities include fishing (with all gear and bait), kayaking, guided tours of the island with naturalists, biking, exploring with motorized skiffs, beach wandering, bird and other wildlife watching, and hiking.

Rooms are double occupancy so if two people are in the room it's $325 per night each for three nights.

We are offering our 20 hour online course for CME plus 8 hours of live CME training.  CME fees are $799 (for a total of 28 hours of Category I CME).  

Please let me know ASAP if you are interested.  I’ve already sold three rooms and only have 8 more left.  

This is an incredible opportunity to visit one of my favorite places on earth.  By the way, kids are welcome and will love it-- when I toured the island I took my five year old and another dad with his 5 year old son.  Both of the kids went crazy-- it was an awesome experience for all.

If this sounds like your type of adventure, contact us at ExpedMed to reserve your place.

The Art of Flight...Amazing

You've got to check this out...

Below is the trailer for the new snowboard documentary produced by Red Bull, The Art of Flight.  If the movie is anywhere near as good as the trailer, I'll be reduced to a pile of twitching, hyper-kinetic nerve endings by the end of it.  I had such an adrenalin rush after watching the trailer the first time that I had to fight the impulse to fling myself off the roof of my house-- it's just that good... 

The great thing is that the movie has finally been released and is available for download on iTunes.  I've already ordered it, so I'll let you know what I think once I watch it.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on the video below and try to fight the urge to quit your job and become a professional BASE jumper.

I know it's difficult...

Speaking of Polar Bears...

Last week at our Expedition Medicine National Conference in Washington, DC, a member of the audience came up to me after one of my talks.  Turns out this guy has a lot of experience working in remote places, and he told me a story about a colleague who was working in northern Canada and was surprised by a polar bear one morning.  Someone snapped a couple of photos of the incident, and this guy said he'd be happy to send them to me.

Needless to say, I was impressed by the photos...

In case you're wondering, the bear didn't actually catch the guy in the photos, but he sure raised his heart rate a bit.

If looking at these photos causes you to long for the frozen tundra and the bears of that region, take heart!  Our ExpedMed Polar Bear CME Adventure still has a couple of spots left.  You have the opportunity to visit the famed bears of Churchill, Canada and earn CME along the way.  The dates are October 16-20, 2011.  Below is a video created by our partners at Frontiers North Adventures...come along with us to visit the polar bears next month (if you dare).

Freelance MD: Upcoming Events

If you missed our recent Expedition Medicine National Conference, you missed a great event.

The above photo is of Dr. Tim Erickson, Vice Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Illinois-Chicago.  Dr. Erickson is renowned as a speaker and he didn't disappoint.  This photo was taken just after his famous "mushroom" lecture at our ExpedMed event.  Tim obviously enjoys his work!

Below is a short video and a schedule of upcoming events for both ExpedMed and Medical Fusion.  

The Medical Fusion Conference is just around the corner so please register early to ensure your place at this entertaining and educational event.  Thanks once again for reading Freelance MD and we hope to see you at one of our events very soon!

Upcoming ExpedMed and Medical Fusion Events

ExpedMed Polar Bear CME Adventure

October 16-20, 2011, Churchill, Canada
www.FrontiersNorth.com
Cost:  $3,969 plus $899 CME

Medical Fusion Conference

November 11-13, 2011, Las Vegas
www.MedFusionConf.org
Cost:  $979

ExpedMed Kilimanjaro CME Adventure

March 24 – April 6, 2012, Kilimanjaro
www.Tusker.com
Cost:  $5,630 plus $899 CME

ExpedMed Great White Shark Diving CME Adventure

August 27-31, 2012 - Guadalupe Island
www.SharkDiver.com
Cost:  $3,100 plus $899 CME

Expedition Medicine National Conference

September 2012 - Washington, DC
www.ExpedMed.org

Kilimanjaro & CME

Climb Kilimanjaro for your CME?

In the summer of 2009 I was working in my local Emergency Department when my cell phone informed me of an incoming text.

"At 14,500 feet. Preparing to summit tomorrow. All is well," read the text.

"Great," I thought, "and here I am dealing with sniffles and low back pain."

The text had come in from the face of Kilimanjaro, the highest peak on the continent of Africa and one of the famed "Seven Summits."  The sender was my good friend Dr. David Townes who was helping lead a group of physicians to the summit of Kili for an ExpedMed CME event.

I was happy for Dave and excited for the CME participants, but also insanely jealous.  

Kilimanjaro is one of those romantic "must do" experiences for adventures around the world.  It stands just over 19,000 feet in northeastern Tanzania and rises independently from the plains of the surrounding region.  Mentioned by famed writers like Hemmingway (The Snows of Kilimanjaro), this magnificent peak towers over the African landscape and is the backdrop to many classic safari portraits.

I am pleased to say that Dave and the rest of the ExpedMed CME group made it to the top of the mountain in 2009.  The participants enjoyed it so much, we swore we'd lead another group back to Kili in the near future, but of course, as often happens, months turn into years and no new ExpedMed Kilimanjaro climbs were scheduled-- until now.

In the spring of 2012 we have scheduled another CME climb up Kilimanjaro.  The dates are March 24-April 6, 2012 .  Our outfitters are once again our esteemed friends at Tusker Trail.  Details of the CME trip can been seen at this Tusker link.

Find more information including pictures from the last Kili CME climb can be found on the ExpedMed Kilimanjaro CME Adventure page under the 'Events' tab above. 

The Disappearing Independent Physician

In a recent post I noted the trend among physicians to sell their practices to hospitals.

The recession coupled with the passage of the healthcare reform initiatives has pushed many physicians into simply throwing in the towel and walking away from the independent practice model.

This month in Smart Money is an article entitled Say Farewell to the Family Doctor.  It's an interesting read.

The articles continues the discussion about physicians becoming employees of hospitals and describes the impact this change is having on the physicians, patients, and the economics of medicine.  

I enjoyed the article, but the last paragraph really gripped me. Here it is:

Still, Mikell acknowledges, "doctors don't want follow-the-directions, cookbook medicine." And for many physicians, the idea of following new rules triggers a much larger unease at giving up their independence—a feeling of loss, both for the businesses they built and for their patients. Back in Bozeman, Blair Erb, the sole cardiologist in town, is a picture of resignation as he prepares to sign a contract with Deaconess. "I feel defeated," Erb says, looking around at the office furniture he and his wife, Liz, chose from a catalog years ago. The weathered ranchers and bundled-up women that come through his door mostly express disbelief when they hear that this frank-talking Tennessee native will sell his practice. His staffers say they're not looking forward to the questions the hospital's medical records system will soon prompt them to ask patients. (Do you wear a bike helmet regularly? Do you have a smoke detector?) "We'll try to retain as much professional independence as possible," Erb says, gazing at the hospital building, whose bulk he can see through his window. "But the fact of the matter is, we'll have a new master."

This paragraph was especially poignant to me since Dr. Erb is a former president of the Wilderness Medical Society and an author in our Expedition & Wilderness Medicine textbook.  

Regardless of one's stance on all the healthcare reform initiatives, it is difficult to watch this generation of physicians enter the twilight of their careers with frustration and disappointment. These men and women-- and their loyal patients-- deserve better, and our society will soon feel the impact of the loss when they and  their practices are gone.  

Update on Apr 15, 7:42 AM by Greg Bledsoe MD

Note:  I wanted the readers to be aware of a correction to this post.  The Dr. Blair Erb who is mentioned in the Smart Money article is the son of the Dr. Blair Erb who was the president of the Wilderness Medical Society and an author in our Expedition & Wilderness Medicine textbook.