Wilderness EMT schools

[Snoshoo]

I wondered if anyone had info (good or bad) about the Wilderness Medicine Training Ctr. I'd like to take their upgrade class but I don't know much about them. I know NOLS is well respected but their class schedule doesn't work as well. Any comments appreciated. Thanks.

[spenac]

Search in box right hand upper corner as this has been discussed. May hold the answer you seek. Welcome.

[Dar_USAF-Lifeguard]

Hey Snoshoo,

From what I've heard about the wilderness emt school is that it's tough. My boss was describing to me the kind of training they put him through and you're dealing with all kinds of possible scenarios out in the wilderness away from civilization. It focuses on you being in a position of providing care, and instructing others who have no training but are part of the group to help do things to help. A wilderness emt is able to set bones, and to cease cpr, but they can't pronounce them dead. My boss was telling me about one particular scenario he was tested on. Him and 2 other people had to go on a hike through the woods and had to camp out over night. Well the one guy takes off running down the hill and ends up going unconscious during the run, so of course he falls down and breaks his femer (spelling?) bone in the process. So boss had to give care to him and decided from the nature of his injuries not to move him. Well it was already getting dark at that time, so he decided to find a place to set up camp rather than 2 people carry him so close to dark and get lost, and send the girl off in the morning backtracking the trail to go get help. He would instruct her on how to do it and with using a compass. Well the next day comes along and something happened to her, but she wasn't unconscious. So my boss had to deal with providing care for both of them, and making decisions on what to do all the way out there away from civilization. He's trained in providing care out there in the wilderness without 911, and to make decisions as the "tour guide" that would be in their best interest in getting them home and to advanced medical personnel.

I think it's pretty interesting. They should be sending me to that school sometime next year

[scubanurse]

I have done NOLS and it is excellent. You learn more skills on how to adapt and overcome and use what you have to make do. LIke the previous poster said, you have to instruct others on how to assist you. My only recommendation is that before you take this course, know WHY you want to take it and what you hope to get out of it. If you are in the wilderness a lot and hiking or leading others than it is a good course to take. But for the average Joe... it will be a waste of money and time. Also be very proficient in your skills as a basic first. The course I took there were brand new EMT-B where most had very little if any "real world" experience as a street EMT and it was noticeable to the more experienced providers as their assesment skills and general knowledge with how things work, and a few of us got annoyed with the slow pace that we had to move at and constantly having to go over basic skills with them. PM me if you have any questions. I am looking into getting a summer internship with NOLS or Outward Bound with teaching and will be happy to give you any more advice that I can.

best of luck,

Kate

[Dar_USAF-Lifeguard]

I have done NOLS and it is excellent. You learn more skills on how to adapt and overcome and use what you have to make do. LIke the previous poster said, you have to instruct others on how to assist you. My only recommendation is that before you take this course, know WHY you want to take it and what you hope to get out of it. If you are in the wilderness a lot and hiking or leading others than it is a good course to take. But for the average Joe... it will be a waste of money and time. Also be very proficient in your skills as a basic first. The course I took there were brand new EMT-B where most had very little if any "real world" experience as a street EMT and it was noticeable to the more experienced providers as their assesment skills and general knowledge with how things work, and a few of us got annoyed with the slow pace that we had to move at and constantly having to go over basic skills with them. PM me if you have any questions. I am looking into getting a summer internship with NOLS or Outward Bound with teaching and will be happy to give you any more advice that I can.

best of luck,

Kate

Well I plan on taking A&P as a prerequisite to get more out of the course. Were you an EMT prior to taking the course? I'm excited about taking it. I love being outdoors and with my new employer that's exactly what I'll get to do I haven't taken EMT courses but I do have a great deal of interest in EMS and I'm hoping that course will help blend that in with my love of outdoor activities.

[scubanurse]

Good for you for taking an A&P course! Really it will benefit you greatly if you choose EMS. I had been in EMS for 3 years when I took the course and I had been working in a suburban 9-1-1 system running about 400+ calls a year and I had just finished my EMT-I/99 course when I took WEMT.

NOLS has a great section called WMI or Wilderness Medicine Institute and their website provides a pretty good description of all that is required for each of the wilderness levels.

http://www.nols.edu/wmi/courses/wemt.shtml is the link for the WEMT course description.

Good luck with A&P and welcome to the city!

[Chief1C]

The hard thing, is extricating someone from the wilderness.. The course doesn't come close to prep for that. Which is why I noted in a post similar to this, that you should take some related intro courses. Like rope, basic SAR, etc.. Even if you don't plan on doing rope rescue, many times they need to be utilized just so you can maintain your balance on surfaces that are either slippery, steep, both, etc..