On October 2, 2024, third-year MD students Kirsten Lalli (Army 2LT) and Sean Mullane, and EM PGY2 and Army Captain Tom Fetherston, MD, won the 2024 EMRA MedWAR (Medical Wilderness Adventure Race) competition, which included 11 teams from residency programs around the country. The trio—competing as team “Dora the Rxplorers”—were one of only two teams that included medical students, versus all residents.
The competition, which lasts for between four to six hours, took place across almost 10 miles in the desert of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada—which hit 103 degrees Fahrenheit on race day. Participants had to use their knowledge of wilderness medicine to address potential medical emergencies. The winner was determined based on race time, combined with credit for accurately answering questions and managing scenarios. The team ran most of the route, carrying food, water, and medical/rescue supplies.
The team credits Professor of Emergency Medicine David Della-Giustina, MD, and Yale Wilderness Medicine Fellow Mike DeCarolis, MD, with helping them prepare. Dora the Rxplorers also won the Massachusetts MedWAR competition in May 2024.