Wilderness
wildēornes ‘land inhabited only by wild animals’, from wild dēor ‘wild deer’ + -ness.
Old English
​
1.an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region.
2.a neglected or abandoned area.
3. a position of disfavour, especially in a political context
​Who We Are
AUWMS was set up late in the academic year of 2000-2001. We are open to anybody interested in combining wilderness with medicine, and actively encourage non-medics to get involved.
We are affiliated to the Student Wilderness Medicine UK, a national network which facilitates communication and fosters links between individual university societies. The goal is to enhance the activities of each society by creating a wider base of knowledge and experience. Within the University we team up with many of the other student societies as we share a wide range of interests, Friends of MSF and the Acute Care Society are key.
Friendship, Medicine and the Mountains!
Our aims are to provide an opportunity to learn about wilderness related topics not covered on the traditional medical syllabus, and to have a bit of fun in the wild. Our interests are many and varied, but include: pre-hospital care, military medicine, expedition medicine, critical care and emergency medicine.
​What We DO
WMS holds skills sessions, lecture nights, weekends away and runs trips to national conferences throughout the year. Last year we provided or facilitated over 130 hours of events to our members. The wide range of training we provide means we have something for everyone, being a mountaineer is definitely not a requirement! Our society is open to everyone with an interest, medics and non-medics alike. We firmly believe anyone can gain the knowledge to make a difference.
Getting outside is the most important part of what we do, the society is a great way to meet those with varied interests, and if you want to learn to climb or go on a day walk you are sure to find someone else who is keen within the society.
The larger Prehospital Care community
Prehospital medicine is fast becoming a speciality in its own right, more and more there is recognition that the most important medical aid we can give to patients is well before they ever reach hospital. As such Wilderness have links with some of the healthcare teams that provide this care. Have a look at our friends page for specific links but some of the key organisations we know are: Grampian Immediate Care Scheme, BASICS Scotland, Braemar Mountain Rescue team, 205 Field Hospital, Aberdeen RNLI, and of course our tutors from Aberdeen Royal Infirmiry. We would love to hear from you if you are from another healthcare speciality and would like to get involved.
"We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey."
John Hope Franklin