Wilderness Medical Courses | Wilderness Emergency Medical Education

Wilderness Medicine

Wilderness Emergency Medical Education (WEME) is proud to be the Alaska sponsor of SOLO Schools, the oldest continuously operating wilderness medical school, worldwide. We offer many levels of training that culminate with national certification. Our courses follow the certification standards set forth by the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative (WMEC).

We contract with various organizations around Alaska to deliver private courses. To inquire about hosting a private course in your area or for your organization, please contact us.

Current Course Schedule

WILDERNESS FIRST AID (WFA)

The WFA is the perfect course for the outdoor enthusiast who wants a basic level of first aid training for short trips with family, friends, and outdoor groups.

The WFA is 16 hours long (2 days), and focuses on the basic skills of: Response and Assessment, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Environmental Emergencies, Survival Skills, Soft Tissue Injuries, and Medical Emergencies. CPR is included in this training course.

Successful completion of the 2-day WFA training culminates in a 2-year WFA certification. We offer several of these courses each year.

ADVANCED WILDERNESS FIRST AID (AWFA)

The AWFA course is designed for guides and professionals leading extended trips in remote wilderness settings where medical assistance may be significantly delayed. It provides comprehensive first aid training beyond basic emergency care, equipping participants with essential skills to assess and manage injuries, illnesses, and environmental emergencies in multi-day settings. The training ensures that participants can provide effective patient care and coordinate evacuations when necessary. CPR is included in this training.

AWFA courses specifically cater to individuals leading half-, full-, or short multi-day trips in areas where outside assistance may be delayed for hours. Students complete the 4 day course for an AWFA certification. If you have a current WFA, you can attend the AWFA Part II (2 days) for an AWFA certification.

WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER RECERTIFICATION (WFR RECERT)

The SOLO Wilderness First Responder Recertification course is designed to renew and update the certification of individuals who have already earned a Wilderness First Responder (WFR).

The purpose of the recertification is to:

Maintain Certification: The SOLO WFR certifications expire every 3 years and a recertification course renews it for another 3 year cycle. The WFR recertification course also includes BLS CPR refresher.
Update Skills: Medical best practices, guidelines, and wilderness protocols can change. The recertification keeps WFRs current with updated techniques, new protocols, and revised standards (like spine management, bleeding control, etc.).
Refresh Hands-On Practice: Critical skills like patient assessments, splinting, CPR, and evacuation decision-making are revisited and practiced.

Reciprocity:

SOLO supports reciprocation of WFR Recerts through WMEC aligning organizations. Visit the WMEC website for detailed certification standards outlining the scope of practice, curriculum guidelines, and course requirements for each certification level.
WFR Students who earned their WFR cert through a WMEC aligned organization, with a 100% in-person (no hybrid) course, can recertify through SOLO by taking a SOLO Wilderness First Responder Recertification course (WFR Recert) OR a Wilderness First Aid course (WFA).
WFR Students who earned their WFR cert through a WMEC aligned organization, with a hybrid based WFR course, can only recertify through SOLO with a Wilderness First Responder Recertification (WFR Recert) course.

WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER (WFR)

The WFR is 72+ hours long (8 days), and is a comprehensive and in-depth look at the standards and skills of: Response and Assessment, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Environmental Emergencies and Survival Skills, Soft Tissue Injuries, and Medical Emergencies. BLS CPR is also included in this course.

The WFR is the perfect course for anyone working in a position of leadership in an outdoor setting or for individuals who want a high level of wilderness medical training for extended personal backcountry trips or expeditions.

The WFR has a 3-year certification period. Typically the WFR is taught over 8 intensive days. We offer several WFR courses per year, including one each fall on a weekend schedule. Minimum age for WFR is 16.

If you are a current EMT looking to bridge to WEMT level, the WFR course will help you obtain the upgraded WEMT certification.

WILDERNESS EMT (WEMT)

The Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) course is our flagship medical program. It is an intense, in-depth, program designed for people who need a higher level of training. It is currently offered twice per year at our training facility in two different formats: one is a month long intensive taught on a M-F schedule offered each summer, OR the second option is delivered during the spring semester where the content is spread out over 13 weeks and students meet for class two evenings per week.

This 180+ hour course meets the requirements to sit for the National Registry EMT exam, State EMT exam, and Wilderness EMT exam. Minimum age requirement is 18.