Q&A With Sanjey Gupta From Franklin Hospital: Wilderness Medicine Takes Doctors From the Exam Room Into Nature

From working in the wilderness to waiting at the finish line of some of the most extreme races around the country doctors are going as far from the medical offices as their patients do in order to provide the best level of service possible.

Sanjey Gupta, MD, from Franklin Hospital in New York discussed these topics and more during a recent interview with MD Magazine.

Most people think of doctors in their office treating patients but sometimes people need medical care in the great outdoors. A new field of wilderness medicine is working to help doctors prepare for situations they might not otherwise encounter.

While wilderness medicine may not be for everyone, for those up to the challenge the rewards can be worth the risk of taking their practice out of the office and into nature.

Whether it is a triathlon in Hawaii or a more extreme race through the desert people are pushing themselves beyond the levels athletes have in the past. Treating them for their unique injuries requires specialized care in a growing field of medicine.

Whether it is the summer and concerns about heat stroke or the winter and risks of hypothermia there are unique challenges with each that doctors tackle on an annual basis.