Wilderness and Rescue Medicine 8th Edition

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Preface This edition of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine (WARM) represents our continued efforts to keep it lean but comprehensive, relevant, and practical for professional and lay practitioners who find themselves working, living, and playing in remote and low-resource settings. Like many other educational institutions, Wilderness Medical Associates International (WMA International) struggled with how to con- tinue operating under the constraints imposed on us by the COVID-19 pandemic. We endeavored to take advantage of the shutdowns to look at how we offer educational opportunities and work to broaden the reach and upgrade the content and format. We continue to develop our dream of a dynamic bibliography and periodic updates online. Even before COVID-19, WMA International was working to script and produce teaching materials specifically for online use to supple- ment the course materials primarily used on face-to-face courses. Serendipitously, these proved invaluable for the online recertification options we offered prior WMA International graduates when COVID-19 forced us to postpone courses. Rather than give a blanket extension, these were free online educational opportunities designed to refresh and extend their knowledge. These are now being modified and expanded for use on our growing number of hybrid courses. People learn in different ways, and using differ- ent tools and approaches to education enhance learning and retention. But the COVID-19 experi- ence has reminded us again that nothing beats a face-to-face learning environment where a well- trained and experienced instructor can guide and challenge learners, allowing them to make mistakes, test assumptions, and ultimately suc- ceed in an inclusive and supportive environment. In the autumn of 2020, Abby Rowe became the new owner and President of WMA International. A detailed biography is posted at https://www. wildmed.com/about-us/meet-the-team. Abby came to her roles familiar withWMA International and is prepared to move the company forward.

She is a WMA International course graduate and instructor. She also directed a program that has been a long-term sponsor of WMA International courses. Abby has redoubled the efforts of her predecessors and is committed to serving WMA International clients, supporting instructors, and providing high-quality curriculum and program- ing for WMA International learners. The future continues to look bright as more and more people who work and play outdoors seek the kind of training that can enhance their safety and per- sonal responsibility. We continue to be grateful to learners, instruc- tors, and course hosts for their trust and support as we redouble our efforts to evolve and make our curriculum accessible, practical, and accurate. We hope you find this 8th Edition of WARM a chal- lenging, informative, interesting, and worthwhile successor. David E. Johnson, MD Jeffrey Isaac, PA-C Wilderness Medical Associates International