My summer internship, the capstone of my @CLTPublicHealth master's degree, began this week. I'll be completing my @NatlParkService internship at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM, @GreatSmokyNPS), with two main projects. 1) Preventative Search & Rescue (PSAR). GRSM has one of the most advanced PSAR programs in the country, and it is for sure a #publichealth undertaking. I will be going out on regular patrols with a radio and equipment as a PSAR volunteer to talk to hikers and park visitors and to offer education when possible. I will also be able to intervene in situations and for environmental hazards that might prevent a full-blown #SAR being needed. These patrols will frequently be based out of Cherokee, where I will be doing a number of initiatives also with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Many of the hikes will be between Cherokee and Clingman's Dome, the highest point in both GRSM and TN (2024 m) and the third highest point in the Eastern US, and potentially about to be renamed with the indigenous Cherokee name of Kuwohi (ᎫᏩᎯ). We'll also be setting up a number of educational sessions using custom-built curricula, including at a farmer's market in Gatlinburg and at local workshops and venues in NC and TN, to provide preventative education on a number of high-significance topics. Most notably, I will be providing PSAR workshops over two weekends at @LeConteLodge. This is the highest guest lodge in the eastern United States (~1950 m). It's accessible only by hiking, helicopter, or llama/donkey, with the shortest access by foot being 8 km. Clearly individuals coming through this space are high yield students to receive preventive public health education about backcountry safety and wilderness rescue prevention. Ultimately all this work will be used to explore the idea of a #TrailDoc role for healthcare professionals who are interested in similarly volunteering in other parks around the country. GRSM will be presenting a national conference on PSAR in November and I'll be sharing my findings and work there. 2) data analysis. It is surprisingly difficult to get data around healthcare that is delivered in spaces like National Parks. I'm not collecting any data or doing any primary research, but will be analyzing data already collected. This should be useful for both the park (internal benefit) and hopefully for publication (external benefit). Huge thanks to my @unccharlotte advisor @THEbeetebeat for her support; to my preceptor Joshua Albritton & NPS Emergency Services Coordinator Liz Hall for the great ideas and supervision; and to Chris Davis for supporting my work on the data portion. It's going to be a great summer! I'll post updates as they come! #thisispublichealth #GRSM #NPS #wildernesspublichealth #MPH #feedyourbrain #PSAR #WEMS #searchandrescue #wildmed #wildernessmedicine @WildMedSociety #SmokiesSMART #greatsmokymountainnationalpark @ebciphhs #kuwohi @CLT_CHHS #CLTPublicHealth