about us

Midwest MedWAR, founded over 20 years ago by our esteemed faculty member Dr. Dave Ledrick and carried on by the faculty at Mercy St. Vincent Emergency Medicine Residency program, is an annual event that blends medical simulation with the great outdoors. Each fall, we bring the wildest, most intense scenarios to life in the woods, challenging participants to think critically, act quickly, and adapt to unexpected situations. What started as a unique approach to medical training has grown into a beloved tradition, attracting participants from all over who share a passion for pushing the limits of their skills in a dynamic, real-world setting. Join us for an unforgettable experience where the only thing predictable is the unpredictability.

race directors

Meet our 2024 race directors below!

Courtney Keel, MD

Midwest MedWAR Director

Dr. Courtney Keel graduated from the Mercy St. Vincent Emergency Medicine residency, but did not get her start with Midwest MedWAR until becoming an attending .  She joined the MedWAR team in 2019 with plans to take over as the Midwest MedWAR director for the 2020 race.  While her first race was put on hold for obvious reasons, she hit the ground running (okay fast walking - she doesn't run) in 2021.  One of her favorite activities is crafting and this has led to some very interesting patient scenarios.  Tell her something can't be done in the woods and she will surely find a way.  She has also prided herself in trying to move away from using animal products and decreasing waste that is created by this event.  She is hopeful that sometime soon she can also incorporate her love of sailing into one of the races.  

Aileen Newmyer, MD

Midwest MedWAR Co-Director

Dr. Aileen Newmyer has been an attending physician at Mercy St. Vincent since 2018, where she serves as simulation faculty, blending two of her great loves: theater and medicine. In 2021, she joined the MedWAR team, further fueling her passion for bringing medical scenarios to life in dynamic and immersive ways. Though she never thought she’d enjoy camping, her involvement in outdoor simulations has led her to embrace the adventure—so much so that she now owns more gear than she knows what to do with. In a journey full of unexpected passions, she's excited to continue exploring them in this event and beyond!

Sriya Sureddi, MD

Midwest MedWAR Assistant Director

Dr. Sriya Sureddi joined the Midwest MedWAR team as a resident and was not quite sure what she got herself into.  However, now this weekend in the woods is a must in her fall schedule.  She loves coming up with creative and challenging stations that always have a little twist based on the theme.  Now that she has graduated from Mercy St. Vincent and joined the world as a new Emergency Medicine Attending she has decided to continue her role and is excited to be serving as the Assistant Director for the 2024 race. 

Matthew Syverson, MD

Midwest MedWAR Orienteering Director

Dr. Matthew Syverson has always loved the outdoors and has spent time camping, hiking, and exploring over the years.  He joined the midwest MedWAR team in 2019 and although he may have initially been "voluntold" he now loves the weekend.  Every year he comes up with the orienteering points and likes to sneakily hide all the clues for extra points.  His unofficial jobs include hauling all our stuff, setting up the campsite, and technology engineer bringing our everyday comforts to the woods in the name of wilderness medicine education. 

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at midwestmedwar@gmail.com.