Partner Agencies – Carolina Wilderness EMS Externship

Western Piedmont Community College
Externs serve as guest instructors for Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC) during their month here, where Dr. Hawkins is medical director. In addition, WPCC serves as the host institution for the Carolina Wilderness EMS Summit held each year as the capstone experience of the Externship.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Wake Forest is our research university partner. The Wake Forest University’s EMS Fellow(s) and Wilderness Medicine Fellow(s) directly participate each year in the Externship. Wake Forest University supports the Externship and the associated Seminar and Summit in multiple other ways, and Dr. Hawkins is an Associate Professor in the Wake Forest University Department of Emergency Medicine.

Blue Ridge HealthCare Graduate Medical Education
UNC Blue Ridge is our GME partner, and provides the GME credentialing for this to serve as a medical school/residency “away” rotation. UNC Blue Ridge has two emergency department campuses, UNC-Blue Ridge-Morganton and UNC-Blue Ridge-Valdese.

North Carolina State Parks
NCSP is one of our two main EMS partners. Dr. Hawkins is medical director of the North Carolina State Parks, and Externs participate in trainings, deployments, and emergency responses at multiple state parks, usually including at a minimum South Mountains State Park, Lake James State Park, Mount Mitchell State Park, Jockey’s Ridge State Park, and Goose Neck State Park.

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians EMS
EBCI EMS is one of our two main EMS partners. Dr. Hawkins is associate medical director here. Externs spend at least three days in and adjacent to the Qualla Boundary learning about tribal and remote EMS in this unique Native nation, which is a sovereign nation geographically located within NC and not a reservation. As the Qualla Boundary is immediately adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, these experiences also include extensive National Park Service EMS time responding and training in the park as well, including exposure to the GRSM SAR and PSAR programs.

To contact us, please email Seth Hawkins, MD