WSS offers Wilderness Medical Associates First Aid and Advanced medical training courses. WMA plays a key role in the development of remote and practical medicine Internationally. They/we are medical and rescue professionals, researchers, experienced educators, and advocates for healthcare in remote settings and hostile environments. Established in the early ’70s, WMA provides comprehensive backcountry medical training and certifications to outdoor and medical professionals at all levels. The WMA cutting edge curriculum is overseen and continually revised by a committee of medical practitioners and has been taught on all seven continents. It is our belief that people working in remote environments should have appropriate wilderness first aid training. Wether you are a week-end camper, an expedition guide, or a medical professional we offer a spectrum of courses to suit everyone’s needs. WMA provides training for many of the world’s outdoor professionals:
- US & Canadian Military
- Outward Bound
- FBI S.W.A.T. teams
- The National Parks Service (US)
- Parks Canada Wardens
- The Ministry of Natural Resources
- The FBI Tactical Medics
- University Outdoor Programs: Thompson River’s, Queens, McGill, Lakehead, Guelph, Windsor, Ryerson, McMaster…to name only a few)
- Rafting and Whitewater companies
- Summer Camps
Courses for Outdoor Professionals
WFA – Wilderness Fist Aid
16 Hours
Equip yourself with the basic knowledge and skills to adapt standard first aid techniques to the demands of wilderness locations.
WAFA – Wilderness Advanced First Aid
40 Hours
Designed as an introduction to backcountry medecine and treatment in the wilderness. This course provides a good foundation in backcountry care for people planning short stays in remote environments.
WFR – Wilderness First Responder
80 Hours
Now the Canadian gold standard for wilderness trip leaders, the WFR course is comprehensive medical training for outdoor educators, guides, professional search and rescue teams, and others who work and adventure in remote settings.
WAFA to WFR Bridge
40 Hours
Designed for graduates of our Wilderness Advanced First Aid courses that want to upgrade their certification to the Wilderness First Responder level. The bridge course can also be used to rectify your WFR.
5-Day WFR – Wilderness First Responder
50 Hours on site & 30 Hours precourse
Learn the essential skills, knowledge, and critical thinking required to assess and manage medical problems in low-resource environments for days and weeks if necessary.
Wilderness First Responder Recertification
30 Hours
This course option requires students to review their textbooks and field guides as preparation followed by three days of in-person instruction. Students are expected to perform at the WFR level on day 1. Students will review essential skills, wilderness protocols, and updates in wilderness medicine. The specific content covered in the class will vary based on the participants.
Courses for Medical Professionals
Wilderness EMS Upgrade
45 Hours
This course helps providers determine the areas of their scope of practice that are effective in pre-hospital wilderness and remote settings. Interdisciplinary providers are intentionally mixed during performance tasks to promote future collaboration in the field. Participants in this course include Advanced Practice Providers, Registered Nurses, EMTs and Paramedics, search and rescue medical leaders, expedition medics, DMAT team members, and military medics. This course will help providers prepare for the WP-C test.
WALS – Wilderness Advanced Life Support
36 Hours
For Advanced Care Medical Practitioners to discuss and develop the skills necessary for critical patient care in remote and resource-challenged settings. Learn new ways to utilize technology for life-saving efforts in unique situations. AMA PRA Category 1 credits are awarded through the Wilderness Medical Society at course completion.