Biography
William W. Forgey, M.D. is an avid humanitarian, adventurer, physician and educator, Dr. Forgey is the founding advisor of the nonprofit Medical Student Missions and has lead over 40 medical service trips to Haiti since 2010.
A member of the Board of Trustees of the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT), Dr Forgey is a lecturer on medical care in high risk recreation at several universities, and a leader of many expeditions into Northern Canada, both summer and winter. A former Captain, Infantry, in the US Army, he had over 30 months active duty in Vietnam prior to leaving the service and attending medical school at Indiana University. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal for his service in Vietnam. He worked 6 years full time as an Emergency Room physician and director of the Ross Clinic Emergency Services in Merrillville, Indiana, before starting his practice of family medicine. Dr Forgey has served as a Scoutmaster for three BSA troops and as a Medical Explorer Post and High Adventure Explorer Post Advisor. He completed his BSA Woodbadge training in 1969. He was named as one of America’s 20 greatest living explorers by the Explorers Club in New York City and, as such, had a subcamp named for him at the National Boy Scout Jamboree in 2005.
He is the author of Wilderness Medicine (1979, 2d Ed 1983, 3rd Ed 1987, 4th Ed 1994, 5th Ed 2000, 6th Ed 2012, 7th Ed 2017 (Globe Pequot Press – Falcon imprint) , Hypothermia (1985) ICS Books, Campfire Stories (1985, 2nd Ed 2011) (Falcon), Basic Essentials of Outdoor First Aid (1989) (Falcon), Basic Essentials of Wilderness First Aid (1999, 2nd Ed 2007)(Falcon), Basic Illustrated Wilderness First Aid (2008, 2nd Ed 2016), Campfire Tales (1989, 2nd Ed 1999, 3rd Ed 2011)(Falcon), The Travelers' Medical Resource (1990) (ICS Books), The Travelers' Self Care Manual (1990) (ICS Books), and Basic Essentials of Hypothermia (1991, 2nd Ed 1999) (Falcon), The Wilderness Medical Society's Practice Guidelines for Pre-hospital Care (editor, 3rd Ed 1995, 4th Ed 2001, 5th Ed 2006) (Falcon), The Doctor's Little Book of Wisdom, (1995) (ICS Books), Campfire Stories, Vol III (1995) (Falcon), Wilderness First Aid (1996, 2nd Ed 2003)(Falcon), and The Dieter's Little Book of Wisdom (1996) (ICS Books). Dr. Forgey contributed to the current edition of the Field Book, 3rd Ed (1984), Classic Campfire Stories (2017) (Globe Pequot), and a contributor to the Boy Scout Handbook, 12th Ed, 2010, published by the Boy Scouts of America, The Wilderness Educator (1991), a text book for outdoor educators, and Fishing First Aid (2002), The Prepper’s Medical Handbook (2020)((Lyon’s Press - Imprint of Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group) and to Expedition Medicine (2008) from Cambridge University Press. He was the Chairman of the Boy Scout of America Wilderness First Aid Task Force that worked with the American Red Cross in developing their Wilderness and Remote First Aid course launched in 2010 and updated in March 2017.
He has been awarded numerous honors including:
elected Fellow, Explorer's Club, New York City, 1975
Wilderness Medical Society Education Award 1997, Founders’ Award 2004,
Indiana University School of Medicine ΑΩΑ Volunteer Faculty of the Year 2000
Wilderness Education Association Paul Petzoldt Award 2005
National Jamboree Boy Scout of America Honoree, 2005
Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal, US Army, RVN service, awarded 1968
Outdoorsman of the Year, Gary Post-Tribune, 1982
Humanitarian Award for International Service, Indian American Medical Association, 2012
Asian-American Medical Society of Northwest Indiana Crystal Globe Humanitarian Award 2016
Psychological Operations Veterans Association National Humanitarian Award, 2018.
Made in the USA.
