EMRA MedWAR
EMRA MedWAR @ ACEP23
When: Thursday, October 12, 2023
WHERE: Wissahickon Valley Park
Start/Finish: Blue Bell Park
842 W. Walnut Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Applications Closed
Congratulations to our 2023 MedWAR champion
Straight Outta Yosemite from UCSF Fresno!
All teams finished the course, and final times were calculated on actual race time along with credit for accurately answering questions and managing scenarios.
The second and third place finishers are as follows: Codebusters from Allegheny General Hospital, and Feral Guinea Pigs from Augusta University
Thanks to all our competitors, our volunteers, and our Wilderness Committee leaders who made the day a success!
2023 MedWAR Teams
Team Name | Program |
Albert's Runaways | Albert Einstein Medical Center |
Codebusters | Allegheny General Hospital |
Feral guinea pigs | Augusta University |
My Three Dads | Augusta University |
Master Disimpactors | ChristianaCare |
TBD | Florida State University / Sarasota Memorial Hospital |
MTF | Georgetown EM |
Running out of patients | Good Samaritan university hospital |
TBD | Lakeland Health |
HAPE or Just Out of Shape? | Madigan Army Medical Center |
Plan B52 | Naval Medical Center Portsmouth |
Bellevue | NYU | Bellevue EM Residency |
Trauma 99ers | Stanford |
Wreck EM Tech | Texas Tech University Health Science Center - Lubbock |
Straight out of Yosemite | UCSF Fresno |
Trauma Llamas | UMass Chan Medical School |
Husky Wild Pups | University of Connecticut |
Husky Hotties | University of Connecticut |
EMRA MedWAR at ACEP23
Thursday, October 12, 2023
EMRA’s MedWAR (Medical Wilderness Adventure Race) is a unique event designed to teach and test wilderness survival and medical skills. This event provides residents and medical students an opportunity for hands-on wilderness medicine experience. The best way to learn wilderness medicine is to get outside and practice. Participants are challenged to use their broad knowledge of wilderness medicine to handle a series of potential medical emergencies. Do you have what it takes to compete?
QUESTIONS?
Who Can Be On a Team?
NEW in 2023 - EMRA is offering three levels of participation:
- EMRA Medical Students
- EMRA Residents
- EMRA Fellows/EMRA Alumni and ACEP Members (attending)
Each team must be composed of three team members. All team members must be a paid EMRA member - medical student, resident, fellow, alumni or ACEP member.
The fee for participation is based on your team level:
- Medical Students: $100 per team member
- Residents: $150 per team member
- Fellows/Alumni and ACEP members: $200 per team member.
- Fees include commemorative t-shirt, post-race meal, a lifetime of memories, and unique medical training.
- Payment must be received by August 15, 2023 to confirm team participation.
Cancellation policy: Full refund until 6 weeks before the race. 50% refund until 4 weeks before the race. No refund less than 4 weeks before the race. Team members may be substituted at anytime until check-in on Race Day but must notify EMRA ahead of time to be permitted to enter the race.
How Do We Sign Up?
Each team must COMPLETE THIS FORM to apply for participation in EMRA MedWar.
Selection process for this year - teams will be selected based on first-come, first-served application process and be confirmed around the first week of August 2023. The first 18 teams will be notified by email and will be required to confirm their participation within 72 hours of notification. If a team does NOT confirm, they forfeit their spot and another team will be selected through a lottery.
What Do Teams Bring?
Each team member must pack his/her backpack with food, water, and medical supplies anticipated for the competition. A list of required equipment will be sent to selected teams after the lottery drawing.
What Does EMRA Provide?
EMRA provides transportation to and from the event. Bus picks up competitors/volunteers at the Marriott Marquis hotel. EMRA also provides snacks and a post-event meal.
Do I Need To Have Previous Wilderness Medicine or Adventure Racing Experience?
Absolutely not! Just remember the course is usually 8-12 miles in distance and the race lasts up to 7 hours. How fast you move about the course is up to you but be prepared for a days worth of physical exertion, in all kinds of weather and topography. You will be exhausted once the race is over. But there will be food and beverages at the finish line.
Can I Just Be a Volunteer?
Of course! We always need helping hands to create the best race possible for the participants. If you are interested in volunteering and are an EMRA member, please complete this form. Submissions due Sept. 4, 2023.
More Questions?
If you still have questions, email Heather
2022 MedWAR Teams
Team Name | Program |
Receptaculum Ignis | Albany Medical Center |
Miles of Smiles | Rutgers RWJMS |
Dumpster Firefighters | UT Health San Antonio |
The Donner Party | Spectrum Health Lakeland |
TriWilderness Champions | MedStar Georgetown-Washington Hospital Center |
Running Out of Patients | Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center |
Resuscitationists in Practice | EMRA MSC |
Husky Hunks | UCONN |
Turkey Sandwich Titans | Riverside Community Hospital/University of California, Riverside |
Cox Inhibitors | Emory University School of Medicine |
Stanford EM | Stanford |
Night Shift Nasty | Florida State University / Sarasota Memorial Hospital |
City Slickers | NYMC MetHarlem Program |
Past Competitions
2021 Winners and Highlights - Boston, MARelated Content

Feb 13, 2023
Wilderness on the Water: MedWAR 2022
EMRA members met at Lake Chabot Regional Park near San Francisco on Oct. 4 to compete in MedWAR, the annual test of medical knowledge, wilderness skills, and endurance. The sunny temperate climate of the West Coast was certainly a welcome relief compared to the blustery conditions during MedWAR 2021 in Boston. The roughly 11-mile course circled the lake, taking competitors from scenarios on the water to panoramic views of the City by the Bay.
