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 offered in one of the two following 16-hour options. (Check with course sponsor for which format is being used.)
Option 1 follows a standardized curriculum of topics and most of our WFA courses use this option. It includes specific training
and certification in Adult CPR and Anaphylaxis management. Option 2 is for those sponsors who desire flexibility in the curriculum.
This option includes eight hours of core curriculum and eight hours of elective topics that can be tailored to the audience.
CPR and Anaphylaxis are not included in this second option.
PREREQUISITES
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
The Wilderness Medical Associates®’ WFA Foldout Field Guide, handouts, and SOAP notes are included in the cost of the course.
Our textbook, Wilderness and Rescue Medicine, is optional and may be purchased separately.
COMPLETION AND GRADES
Successful completion with certification is based on 100% attendance 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.
CERTIFICATIONS AVAILABLE
All students who successfully complete the Wilderness First Aid course will receive a Wilderness Medical Associates’® WFA
certification card, and if applicable, Anaphylaxis and Adult CPR certifications cards. These certifications are valid for three years.
COAST GUARD APPROVAL
This course meets or exceeds the standards of the American Red Cross Standard First Aid and Emergency Care or Multimedia Standard First Aid courses and will satisfy the first aid training requirements of 46 CFR 10.205(h)(1)(iii) AND meets or exceeds the standards of the American Red Cross or American Heart Association CPR courses and will satisfy the training requirements of 46 CFR 10.205(h)(2)(iv).
UPGRADE
Graduates of a Wilderness Medical Associates’® WFA course are eligible for a $30 rebate when they attend a full-length Wilderness
First Responder or Wilderness EMT course within one year of their original course date.
RECERTIFICATION
Students should retake the WFA course or consider upgrading to the Wilderness Advanced First Aid and or Wilderness First Responder.
WHAT TO BRING
Students should bring appropriate clothing for the location and time of year. Rain or shine, much of our time is spent outside.
Bring food and snacks unless provided by sponsor. Also needed are pens and a notebook.
WFA COURSE SCHEDULE
Day 1: 8 hours - Registration, Introduction; Patient Assessment System; CPR; Circulatory System; Nervous System; Respiratory System;
Fractures, Stable Injuries; Splints 1-Extremities; Electives
Day 2: 8 hours - Hypothermia; Hyperthermia and Heat Illness; Near Drowning; Lightning Injuries; Wounds and Burns; Anaphylaxis;
Lifting, Moving Extrication; Patient Carries; Backcountry Medicine |
