LEANORA MERWIN, DO

Dr. Merwin’s obsession with the outdoors began on the volcanic peaks of the Cascades and among the rugged surf and rivers of Oregon. Never content to limit herself to the endless hiking trails of the Pacific Northwest, she has continued exploring this incredible world while constantly expanding her knowledge and experience in Wilderness Medicine.

After completing her Emergency Medicine residency, Dr. Merwin went on to complete a Wilderness Medicine Fellowship at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Since completing her fellowship, she has been working in Portland, Oregon, where she continues to combine her career in emergency medicine with her passion for the outdoors and wilderness medicine.

Her interest in wilderness medicine actually began long before medical school. She completed Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness EMT courses, which led to several years of professional guiding before she returned to complete her medical degree.

Her guiding career culminated in an incredible 46-day canoe expedition through Nunavut in the Arctic Circle with four teenagers. While she has since retired from professional guiding, she continues to serve as a physician consultant for her former guiding company.

These days, you can often find Dr. Merwin summiting mountains alongside other Wild Med Adventures participants and instructors. She summited Kilimanjaro with us in January 2021, has trekked to base camps in Nepal, and continues to seek out powder, big swells, and new adventures whenever possible. She also continues to advance her skills through mountaineering and swiftwater courses and by teaching as an Advanced Wilderness Life Support instructor.

Whether she’s climbing a mountain, skiing, surfing, diving, teaching, or exploring somewhere new, you can almost always count on seeing her with a smile on her face. We’re incredibly excited to have her as part of the Wild Med Adventures team!