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Prioritize what matters most.
Our curriculum teaches you to always consider how well the 3 critical systems are functioning while paying attention to personal and group safety in dynamic environments.
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This helps you to easily categorize problems as "serious" or "not serious" and make the right plan for your situation, like whether or not you can manage it there or need a higher-risk evacuation.
Make the best call in less than ideal situations.
We do our best to emphasize the "why" behind our actions, while keeping our patient assessment and treatment plans practical for a remote setting.
You'll learn how to use general principles of rescue medicine, like "risk/benefit ratio" and "probability vs. consequence" so you can justify decisions in a less than ideal setting.
Feel confident you found it all.
WMA's systems based and easy-to-follow patient assessment system ensures you don't miss anything important when evaluating your scene and your patient.
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We also don't expect you to memorize everything! In each class you'll get a pocket-sized field guide to use as a resource well beyond the classroom.
WMA First AID Outdoors
First Aid Outdoors (formerly Barefoot Wild Med) is a Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) licensed training company. ​Katie, the owner and lead instructor for First Aid Outdoors has been teaching the WMA curriculum since 2014.
WMA is the leading provider of wilderness medical training for medical professionals and adventurous communities around the world.
Our courses provide access to top notch instructors (all actual health care professionals) and our annual curriculum review means you’ll always be taught the latest in evidence based wilderness medicine.
Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
Are you an outdoor enthusiast who specializes in day adventures or overnights? Or, maybe you just like to get out with the kids and want to make sure you know how to take care of injuries?
Our 2-day WFA prepares you to recognize medical emergencies and provide basic life saving skills as well as perform a patient assessment and basic field care for common injuries and illness.
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Available in-person only
Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA)
Are you an outdoor professional, responsible for providing patient care in areas where definitive care may be delayed from hours to days?
The 36-hour WAFA teaches you basic lifesaving skills, thorough patient assessment, how to care for common and environmental injuries and illness in the field, and how to contact rescue for help.
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Hybrid and Fully In-Person formats available
Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
Do you spend multiple days in the backcountry or lead groups where you might be alone or primarily responsible for patient care? Do you love veering off the beaten path?
The 70-hour WFR is the highest level of wilderness medicine available for folks without a medical background. You'll learn how to assess and manage problems from common injuries and illnesses to major emergencies, work as a team, and participate in longer simulations designed to help you critically think about how you'd respond in low-resource and remote environments.
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Hybrid and Fully In-Person formats available
WFR Recertification
Did you invest time, energy, and hard-earned money to earn your WFR certification?
Don't let it expire!
Our 24-hour WFR Recertification allows eligible students to renew their WFR certification for another 3 years. Using hands on-practice and 1:1 partner scenarios, we'll review essential skills, wilderness protocols, and the latest updates in wilderness medicine.
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Hybrid and Fully In-Person formats available
Don't See What You're Looking For?
Let's create what you need. ​
Get In Touch
First Aid Outdoors (formerly Barefoot Wild Med) is based in the Bitterroot Valley, just south of Missoula, Montana. We offer courses locally but love to travel and can teach a course wherever you'd like!
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