Guest hringrose Posted November 2, 2003 Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 I am a both an environmentalist and an outdoor enthusiast. I am involved in environmental groups and I hike with my hiking club daily. I am never happier than when I am "out there" in Nature. I love to travel because for the first two years of my life, I lived on the baby seat of my parents' bikes as we cycled North America. I also have a strong interest in health. My question is: Are there any areas of medicine that would allow me pursue all of these interests? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Megs Posted November 2, 2003 Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 How about rural medicine? I did an elective in rural alberta near calgary and it was gorgeous out there - with the mountains in view and lots of open roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UWOMED2005 Posted November 2, 2003 Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 If you enjoy the outdoors as recreation during your time off, rural medicine would be fantastic. Imagine being a family physician in Nelson, BC. If you want to work outdoors though, I'm not sure medicine is the best career. Something along the lines of Search & Rescue might be more appropriate. When it gets right down to it, without lab tests, pathologists, EKGs, Chest X-rays, ORs, CT scans and the like. . . MDs are actually pretty useless. Sad but relatively true. At least until someone develops a backpack with a full EKG/CXR/Lab/CT/MRI/Pathologist built in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mying Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 Medicine's a great career with many different flavours. But it is just a career, and you are allowed to have a life outside of medicine that may have nothing to do with medicine altogether. Certainly a rural practice will give you greater proximity to the great outdoors, but don't let that limit you. Even if you want to bring your training and knowledge as a physician to affect other outdoorsy types, you can do so as a hobby or research interest without making it your 9-5 job. For example, as a physician you might volunteer as part of a search and rescue team, or even as their medical director. Wilderness Medicine is an area that you don't really officially train in, though some consider it a subspecialty of emergency or rural primary care. You may get involved in the research, development, or education of first responders like search and rescue, flight medics, or northern rescue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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