ANTHONY GEIST, PhD

Anthony is a nationally registered Wilderness A-EMT with a PhD in Comparative Experimental Medicine. He began his medical career as a Wilderness First Responder guiding for rock climbing and kayaking trips in Tennessee, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. He received his Wilderness EMT from SOLO Southeast in 2013 and has since served as a medical provider and instructor on expeditions to Belize and Panama in addition to teaching emergency and Wilderness Medicine at SOLO. Since 2020, he has worked as a seasonal SAR and EMS ranger for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As a SAR Ranger, he is a NFPA Rope Rescue Technician, Swiftwater Rescue Instructor, and NPS Parkmedic. In addition to his medical career, he is an avid rock climber, whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddleboarding enthusiast, and cyclist. When not traversing the rivers and mountains around his home, he can be found working as a medic for Macon county EMS service, riding his bike through the South Knoxville Urban Wilderness, and planning expeditions to remote and wild areas of the country.