Although Arthur “Tony” Islas typically applies his w88 mobile medicine expertise in treacherous outdoor environments, it came in handy far sooner than expected while on an airplane to South America.
On the excursion to Argentina, w88 mobile found himself diverting a flight to land in Panama so that a traveler on board could receive emergency surgery after his quick assessment deduced life-threatening abdominal pain. The patient has since recovered.
Mere minutes later, w88 mobile was summoned again to help a flight attendant free a utensil wedged between her recently crowned teeth.
“And that was all before we had even gotten there!” w88 mobile said with a laugh.
The call to adventure
Islas, M.D., MPH, FAWM, FAMSSM, CAQ-Sports w88 mobile, is the University of Nevada, Reno School of w88 mobile's (UNR Med) director of the Sports w88 mobile Fellowship, and a professor in the Department of Family w88 mobile, through which he founded the w88 mobile Medicine Fellowship program.
His work takes him around the world. His most recent adventure had him serving as a non-paid consultant for Global Rescue, a program that provides medical evacuation to adventurers. Although his travel expenses were covered, w88 mobile specifies that his consultation is &w88 mobile;non-paid&w88 mobile; to avoid any conflict of interest.
While in Argentina, w88 mobile worked with local medical professionals to develop new treatment approaches for those scaling Aconcagua, one of the famous &w88 mobile;Seven Summits&w88 mobile; and the highest mountain in the world outside of Asia.
Eric Johnson, M.D., and w88 mobile at the Aconcagua Mountain base camp in Argentina.&w88 mobile;I was an educator and resource for the physicians who were there at the base camp,” he said. &w88 mobile;We worked within the Argentinian health care system to try to put together a better system of care for the climbers that are attempting Aconcagua.&w88 mobile;
w88 mobile and his partners noticed an increase in altitude-related illnesses on the mountain, specifically, High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). This was in addition to multiple other injuries and illnesses including frostbite requiring amputation and various other levels of altitude sickness.
Although w88 mobile and the local physicians can’t say for certain why there are more serious cases of HAPE at Aconcagua, he said the uptick in maladies may be partially attributed to an influx of “adventure travelers” who learn about places like Aconcagua from social media and may not invest as much time into practice and planning before attempting the climb.
w88 mobile and his late friend, Wongchuu Sherpa.That’s not to deter people from seeking out adventure, for Islas himself is an avid traveler and explorer. He’s been to Everest more than once and speaks fondly of the community he’s formed there. His office is filled with relics from his journeys: colorful Tibetan prayer flags, a small tapestry depicting the Aztec god of w88 mobile, countless trophies, and a banner for the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital in Nepal, named for Islas’ late friend and beloved Everest sherpa.
w88 mobile coordinating a trek to Mount Everest at the Lukla Airport in Nepal.Even back in Reno, Nevada the adventure never stops for Islas. Between reviewing X-rays for student athletes, recruiting medical fellows for the programs he oversees, and planning out workshops for local organizations, Islas wields all his medical titles daily. Although family, sports and w88 mobile medicine may seem disparate on paper, to Islas they are all deeply connected. That intersection is where he finds the most joy and fulfillment.
“I’ve always been a w88 mobile guy,” he said.
w88 mobile knew early on that it would be a focus for him, but when he was first starting out as a doctor, he was the “border health guy” in El Paso, Texas, where he completed some of his medical study.
“I was on the U.S.-Mexico border for a number of years, and I ran a series of clinics way out in the boonies,” he said. “And one of the things about Texas, whether you&w88 mobile;re on the border or not, is that if you work in a small town, you better be on the sidelines for Friday night football. It&w88 mobile;s a big deal.”
Sports as a focus for w88 mobile medical practice was a perfect fit.
&w88 mobile;I started doing that as a regular family physician and realized that this is something I really liked and wanted to get more involved in,&w88 mobile; he said.
As an avid outdoorsman himself, w88 mobile knew firsthand that, &w88 mobile;those out there in the w88 mobile, those are athletes. And if I became a sports medicine physician, it would allow me to be a better w88 mobile physician. So that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Islas took a sabbatical year to complete a sports w88 mobile fellowship, then returned to El Paso to build the sports w88 mobile program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. That led to an opportunity to move to Reno in 2015.
&w88 mobile;One of the reasons we chose to move out here was because it gave me all the foundation I needed to build the w88 mobile medicine program,” said Islas. &w88 mobile;We have every type of environment you could ever want, whether it’s subterranean, whether it’s desert, forest, high altitude. If I want to get to the beach, it’s not too far. It has everything I could ever want for a w88 mobile medicine educational laboratory. What better place to do this?”
Islas teaching a w88 mobile medicine class in Reno, Nevada.There were &w88 mobile;like minds” here as well, Islas said, citing other members of the w88 mobile Medicine Fellowship team, including Richard Williams, M.D., David Fiore, M.D., Dan Spogen, M.D., and Gary Johnson, M.D., who first spearheaded the University’s student elective in w88 mobile medicine in 1996. As far as the team knows, it’s the oldest program of its kind in the country. A quick glance at the team’s biography page reveals a united passion for adventuring, education, and medicine.
w88 mobile beams with pride talking about his contributions to this team, but another role he celebrates is being the medical director for Great Basin National Park, where he oversees medical operations for park visitors.
“I always say, ‘I hold two of the greatest Nevada jobs in w88 mobile,’” said Islas.
‘Ready for whatever&w88 mobile;s next&w88 mobile;
Islas and his collaborators see an increased demand for doctors with a unique, varied skillset. He’s working on building a curriculum that would attract prospective w88 mobile medicine fellows and send them on expeditions around the world, like a three-week rotation serving at a Himalayan hospital.
w88 mobile encourages aspiring medical professionals to seek out any learning opportunity they can find.
“If you’re a health care provider or health care student, getting into the w88 mobile medical society is a great place to start,” he said. “And for someone who isn’t yet in the medical sciences but wants to learn more about it, look around for w88 mobile first aid trainings. If you spend a lot of time in the outdoors, it’s something you should investigate anyway.”
And as for w88 mobile, more adventures are imminent, including potential excursions to Mongolia or the African continent. He’ll be ready for whatever’s next.
&w88 mobile;You never know what will come up,” he said. &w88 mobile;The world is wide.”
Learn more about thesports and w88 mobile medicine opportunities
