By Mike Magee, MD

Kids will be starting school soon, and for parents of brand new students, that means taking a look at your child's immunization record. What’s the big-picture connection between immunizations and school? By requiring all new public school students to have up-to-date vaccinations, we've reached the critical numbers necessary to protect our population.

In this 2008 United States presidential campaign, as the two main candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, are being scrutinized by voters and analysts for their strengths and weaknesses, largely related to the war in Iraq and the U.S. economy, we wish to remind the candidates that we are at a defining moment for the environment. Population growth, climate change, consumption of fossil fuels, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity, to name a few, are not going to abate without concerted efforts, sacrifice, and political will. If either candidate wishes to fulfill his responsibility to America and the rest of the world, then he will need to make significant progress on these issues without concern for special interests, popularity, or re-election. Obama professes to be the candidate for change, and McCain says that he has wisdom bred of experience. Either way, they both need to halt the destruction of our planet and promote active environmental preservation, or they will continue to lead future generations to a precipice from which they cannot retreat.

Every year a new group of college graduates assemble in medical school auditoriums across the United States to begin their four year metamorphoses.  A short “White Coat Ceremony” serves as a transitional introduction for excited parents and apprehensive students alike to hear from faculty and deans about what the next steps toward becoming a physician will entail. These young adults walk in as fresh ’savants’ only to be humbled by the collective brain trust of their fellow first year colleagues.  Like sports, medical school is the next level of intellectual competition for these graduates – the big leagues – where the competitor can ‘size’ himself or herself up against some of the brightest students in the country.

By Mike Magee, MD

The Wilderness Medical Society Annual Meeting & 25th Anniversary held in Snowmass, Colorado from July 25-30, 2008 was fantastic in every aspect. The meeting was attending by more than 300 individuals, and included lectures, workshops, evening presentations and a celebration banquet complete with costume ball. I can’t imagine how the meeting might have been better, unless each and every one of you could have been in attendance.

By Mike Magee, MD

By Mike Magee, MD