With open hands and a shared flame, Grit Med Collective ignites a global community of educators and clinicians.
About Grit Med Collective
OUR WHY
Our Mission.
Grit Med Collective is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing wilderness, austere, and expedition medicine through education, mentorship, and community collaboration.
We believe that access to wilderness medicine should not be limited by geography, training program, or professional background. Our goal is to create accessible pathways for students, trainees, and professionals across all medical disciplines to explore and engage with the field.
Through education, service, and community-building, we aim to strengthen the global wilderness medicine community and support the next generation of providers working in remote and challenging environments.
Our Story.
The Collective grew from a simple idea: create a space where students and professionals interested in wilderness medicine could come together to learn, connect, and share ideas free from geographic or financial barriers during COVID lockdown in 2020.
That idea became Wild Med Wednesday, a monthly virtual lecture series that began as a grassroots educational project for the Yale PA Online wilderness medicine student interest group. Since its launch, Wild Med Wednesday has brought together clinicians, students, educators, industry and expedition professionals from around the world to share knowledge and experiences in wilderness medicine.
What began as a small educational initiative has evolved into a vibrant community where students are introduced to the field, professionals share their expertise, and collaborations from across disciplines and organizations.
Over time, many of the students who first joined Wild Med Wednesday have continued to participate as professionals, speakers, and mentors - demonstrating the power of early engagement and community in shaping careers.
Recognizing the growing impact and potential of this community, Grit Med Collective was formed as a nonprofit organization to support and expand these efforts.
Our Vision.
We envision Grit Med Collective as a hub for wilderness medicine collaboration, bringing together students, professionals, organizations, and educators working in expedition, disaster, remote, and austere medicine.
Our long-term goals include:
Expanding education opportunities to include awarding CME credit for our offerings
Supporting student and early-career-professional mentorship
Developing service and humanitarian medicine initiatives
Creating a scholarship fund
Continuing to build a global network of wilderness medicine professionals
By fostering collaboration and exposure while lowering barriers to entry, we hope to strengthen the wilderness medicine community and inspire the next generation of providers to pursue careers in challenging environments.
Founders note.
The Grit Med Collective was founded by a physician assistant, educator, and small business owner of Grit Med LLC with a passion for building community and creating opportunities for students and clinicians to explore the field of wilderness medicine. The most powerful attribute to learning improvised medicine does not lie in the career pursuit, but in the confidence and self-discovery that comes from challenging your foundations in diverse situations.
After several years of hosting Wild Med Wednesday and seeing the connections, collaborations, and careers that grew from it, it became clear that the community deserved a sustainable organization that could continue to support and expand these efforts.
I am so glad you found us.
Join us. Keep the flame alive.
Jeena Fuller, PA-C, FAWM
Founder & President Grit Med Collective
Co-founder Wild Med Wednesday
