WILDERNESS MEDICINE
Wilderness Medicine differs significantly from standard Red Cross courses and other programs that are oriented toward the urban
environment. This course teaches what to do with a medical emergency when help is miles away and calling 911 isn’t an option.
We prepare students for emergency situations that involve prolonged patient care, severe environments and improvised equipment.
WHY CHOOSE WILDERNESS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES®?
Wilderness Medical Associates® has been setting the highest standard for medical training in wilderness and rescue medicine since 1981.
We are the only company in this field with a practicing emergency room physician as President and Medical Director. Dr. David Johnson’s
nearly 30 years of emergency medical and backcountry experience provide a depth of expertise that translates into a cutting edge curriculum.
Our team of exceptional instructors are medical professionals with significant patient care experience as well as substantial backcountry
resumes. All have been through a rigorous selection and training process. We demand the best, and we get them.
The curriculum is continuously updated and refined. We search the literature and draw from field experience to create the most useful
training possible for medical care in difficult and dangerous places. Our emphasis on understanding body systems and medical principles
gives students the skills and confidence to adapt and respond. Once an individual has taken one of our courses, he or she will remember
and understand what needs to be done.
Our courses are preferred by such organizations as Outward Bound, The National Park Service, and the FBI. As Canoe Magazine stated,“Wilderness Medical Associates has become the de facto standard in wilderness medical training.”
CLASS FORMAT
This course is presented in 45 hours over 5 days. The sponsor may add a day off. Mornings are devoted to lectures, discussions and quizzes
with afternoons devoted to outdoor practical skills and scenarios. Evenings are reserved for study and assignments. Expect rescue scenarios
with made-up victims and simulated wounds to prepare you for backcountry emergencies. Sessions may be videotaped for enhanced learning.
PREREQUISITES
The prerequisite for certification at the Wilderness EMT level is a current EMT certification (basic, intermediate or paramedic).
PAs, RNs, and MDs may also participate in the course for a Wilderness EMT Audit card. Others with medical backgrounds
(e.g. military medics, EMTs with expired licenses, and foreign pre-hospital personnel) will be
admitted to the course on a case by case basis. Students must be at least sixteen years old to
participate in this course. Those under eighteen years of age will require the written consent
of a parent or guardian.
COURSE SPONSORS AND INSTRUCTORS
Wilderness Medical Associates’® courses are offered by a variety of sponsors in the US and abroad.
Sponsors may set rules regarding parking, dogs, the use of alcohol, and other site-specific issues.
The course sponsor sets the tuition and provides the classroom and any housing or meals that may be included.
All courses are taught by WMA™ instructors who have been through our rigorous selection and training process
and adhere to our course standards and curriculum.
TEXTBOOKS
All teaching materials are provided by Wilderness Medical Associates® at no additional cost. This includes a book of lecture
handouts, our case study workbook, SOAP notes, our textbook, Wilderness and Rescue Medicine and The Wilderness
Medical Associates Field Guide.
COMPLETION AND GRADES
Successful completion with certification is based on 100% attendance, satisfactory performance on homework assignments and written
quizzes, demonstrated proficiency with practical skills and a grade of 80% or better on final written exam. Wilderness Medical Associates®
is committed to making reasonable accomodation to any student with special needs.
CERTIFICATION AND CEUs AVAILABLE
All EMTs who successfully complete the WEMT Upgrade course will receive WEMT and Anaphylaxis certification cards from Wilderness
Medical Associates®. Other medical personnel who successfully complete the course will receive a wilderness EMT Audit card.
Certification and Audits remains valid for three years.
Many state and regional EMS offices have approved the WEMT Upgrade course for continuing education credit. Students are responsible
for obtaining prior approval and filing all appropriate paperwork with his or her local EMS office. This course is approved by CECBEMS
for 45 Advanced Level CEHs. Please contact Wilderness Medical Associates® for support materials.
RECERTIFICATION
Within three years, graduates may recertify the Wilderness portion of their certification (provided their EMT license is current) by way of
the 36-hour Wilderness Advanced First Aid Course, the 36-hour Bridge Course, the 24-hour Open Recertification Course, or the WMA™
16-hour Recertification Course. To renew their EMT license graduates must follow the procedures and requirements of the issuing state.
WHAT TO BRING
Bring appropriate clothing for the location and time of year. Remember that, rain or shine, much of our time is spent outside. You will
also need pens and a notebook. See our Student Handbook and speak with the sponsor for more information.
WEMT COURSE SCHEDULE
Day 1: 10.5 hours - Logistics and Introduction; General Concepts; Patient Assessment System; Critical Body Systems Review;
PAS/SOAP Practice; Spine Injury Assessment; Medical/Legal Issues
Day 2: 9 hours - Test I/Review; Anaphylaxis and Asthma; ALS/BLS Appropriate Technology; Lifting, Moving, Extrication; Litter Packaging
and Carries; Scenarios I
Day 3: 8.5 hours - Test II/Review; Pain Management; Soft Tissue Injury; Wound Cleaning and Exploration; Musculoskeletal Injuries;
Extremity Splinting, Dislocations; Scenarios II
Day 4: 9 hours - Test III/Review; Environmental Medicine; Scenarios III; Search and Rescue; SAR Exercise
Day 5: 8 hours - SAR Exercise Debrief; Expedition Medicine; Scenarios IV; Medical Kits and Medications; Test IV and Course Debrief |
