Our Wilderness First Aid course is designed to provide an individual with an introduction to wilderness medicine and the basic skills to treat the most common injuries and illnesses encountered in the wilderness. This program is appropriate for entry-level professional guides and other non-medical people who want a basic understanding of wilderness medicine.
This WFA Hybrid course requires approximately 8+ hours of online coursework. Following the completion of the online material, a student will be eligible to attend the ~10 hours of hands-on training. After taking this course you will be familiar with some of the most common backcountry problems. You’ll have some limited practice in evaluating, treating, and evacuating injured persons in wilderness settings. You’ll start to get a feel for what situations require medical assistance.
Successful completion of this course will result in three certificates:
This course will be hosted at the Ledges Shelter in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
This is a winter course, hosted in an early-twentieth century National Park Service shelter! While the shelter is enclosed, roofed, and protected from the elements there is NO central heating in the building. We will have two roaring fires going in the large hearths, but this is a semi-conditioned space. Therefore, warm layers, attention to nutrition and hydration, and comfort/experience with remaining warm in cold conditions for an entire day are a must.
Weather could be anywhere from zero to 40 degrees during the day; dry frozen ground, sopping wet, or a foot of snow – who knows?! 40 and wet is some of the hardest weather in which to stay warm; no matter what, we will be spending time outdoors.
We have planned the day so that we’re outside in chunks – we will have opportunities to shelter, change clothes if necessary, refuel (we will have endless hot beverages), and warm ourselves back up – but in order to get the most out of the course, you need to be able to fully interact with the environment and the experiences we are creating for you.
The materials below are covered via online and in-person didactic lectures, small group discussions, practical skills sessions, and live scenarios. Each topic will describe pathology, treatment, and prevention, and provide evacuation guidelines necessary for high-quality patient care. This curriculum is continually reviewed for best practices and the most up-to-date guidelines.
The WFA curriculum includes, but is not limited to topics such as:
Please review our terms and policies before registering for a course, course registration is an acknowledgment and agreement to all AdventureMed policies. Should you have any additional questions, please refer to our FAQ page or email our team directly.
