Cindy Bitter, M.D., M.A., MPH

Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine; Director, resident research
Department of Surgery

Courses Taught

EM414, Wilderness medicine M4 elective

Education

Fellowship
International emergency medicine and global health, University of Illinois-Chicago

Residency
Medical College of Wisconsin

Internship
Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

Medical School
University of Kansas School of Medicine

Master of Public Health
University of Illinois-Chicago

Master of Arts
Bioethics, Medical College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Research Interests

Social EM
Medical education
Trauma care in austere settings
Research ethics

Publications and Media Placements

"Top Trauma Literature of 2025" International Conference on Emergency Medicine, Hamburg, Germany, June 2026
Bitter CC, Storkan M, Overmiller A, Respicio JA, McGowan T, Park A, Culhane JT. Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guideline on Care of Burns in the Wilderness. Wilderness Environ Med. 2025 Dec;36(4):549-558
Killen E, Cusumano M, Zhang Z, Newman R, Voigtmann J, Sanford AM, Bitter CC. First-Generation Antihistamine Use in Geriatric Emergency Department Patients: Retrospective Review. West J Emerg Med. 2025 Dec 31;27(1):219-224
Bitter CC, Bi A. Milne WK. SGEM Xtra. Career Advice from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Podcast July 2025.
Long K, Townesmith A, Overmiller A, Applequist W, Scalzo A, Buchanan P, Bitter CC. Plant identification applications do not reliably identify toxic and edible plants in the American Midwest. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2023 Jul;61(7):524-528.
Williams C, Bitter CC, Lorber S, Overfelt CR, Zehfus H, Spangler A, Lew V, Lewis LM, Naunheim RS. Incidence of Emergency Department Visits for Electric Rental Scooters Using Detailed Ridership Data. West J Emerg Med. 2022 Jan 31;23(2):174-182

Honors and Awards

Caring Physician Award, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital

Professional Organizations and Associations

International Federation of Emergency Medicine
Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
American College of Emergency Physicians (fellow)
American Society of Bioethics and Humanities
Wilderness Medical Society

Community Work and Service

Himalayan Family Healthcare Project