Students
& Their Questions
Students and prospective students
often have numerous questions. What follows are some of
the more common questions...and our answers. Follow the
links for more specific information. If you have additional
questions, please contact our office. We are happy to assist
you in choosing the course that is right for you. We look
forward to seeing you in one of our courses.
Why are your
certification courses so long?
Why
are your recertification courses three days long instead
of two?
Why
are your courses so expensive?
Isn't
an EMT course better than a WFR?
Are
there any prerequisites?
Is
there anything I can do to prepare for my course before
I get there?
What if my certification
is from another company and I want to recertify with WMTC?
What if my original
certification was with WMTC but I want to recertify with
another company?
Why do you offer your
own CPR certification?
Where can I recertify
my WMTC Wilderness CPR certification?
What if the course
I want to take is not on your course schedule?
Why are your certification courses so
long?
Actually they're not. Our
goal is to train you in wilderness medicine. To reach our
goal (and yours) we need to: build a strong foundation based
in anatomy and physiology (rather than lists), teach you
a practical thought process similar to emergency room physicians,
teach hands-on skills in patient assessment and treatment,
and provide ample opportunity for realistic practice and
feedback. To accomplish this in the real world, we must
balance quality, cost, and time. We have designed our curriculum
to meet those needs. We are committed to working with you.
This is a promise.
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Why are your recertification courses
three days long instead of two?
Simply put, we believe that
two days is not long enough to review the curriculum of
a nine day Wilderness First Responder course, a seven day
Wilderness EMT module, or even a five day Wilderness Advanced
First Aid course. Our review courses thoroughly address
the topics covered in your original course. We do not mix
new students with review students. The students in your
review course will have taken a previous WAFA, WFR or WEMT
course. This permits us to teach to your level. We expect
you to come prepared and promise that you will leave "refreshed."
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Why are your courses so expensive?
Again, they're not. We use state of the
art equipment, technology, and teaching techniques. All
course texts are included in your tuition. Our instructors
are professional educators with strong medical, rescue,
and wilderness skills. Compared to other professional workshops
of similar length and quality (personal growth, professional
development, etc) our courses are inexpensive.
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Isn't an EMT course better than a WFR?
No. EMT courses
are based on the "Golden Hour"; principle. They
were designed to train people to manage their patients for
up to one hour. This is impossible in any wilderness situation.
Wilderness medicine BEGINS where these courses stop.
Wilderness medicine assumes
prolonged care (hours, days, weeks), extreme environmental
challenges, and the need for improvisation. Wilderness medicine
exceeds the scope of traditional prehospital training. If
you are planning to work on an ambulance, take an EMT course.
In a few rare cases, SAR members may benefit from additional
training that teaches them how to adapt standard ambulance
equipment to wilderness use; ONLY these people should consider
taking a WEMT module to augment their EMT training. If you
are planning to play or work in a remote care situation
as a guide or instructor, take a Wilderness First Responder
(WFR) course. Preferably from us....
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Are there any prerequisites?
There are no prerequisites
for Wilderness First Aid Workshops, Wilderness Advanced
First Aid Courses, or Wilderness First Responder Courses.
You must have a current WEMT, WFR, or WAFA certification
from an accepted training company to attend a Review &
Recertification Course with us. Persons wishing to take
our WEMT Module must have, at minimum, a current EMT-B certification
or be licensed as a physician, veterinarian, or nurse.
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Is there anything I can do to prepare
for my course before I get there?
Yes! You should download and
read our Student
Booklet. The booklet is designed to help prepare you
for your course and to maximize your learning experience.
Come to the course well rested and ready to commit the majority
of your energy to the course. Try to arrive the evening
before the course starts to settle in and get a good nights
sleep. Consider choosing a course that offers lodging and
meals; try not to commute. This will allow you more time
to study or rest...and perhaps a little time to play. If
you are taking a WFA, WAFA, WFR, or WEMT module this is
all you should need to do.
If you are taking a Review
& Recertification Course you should thoroughly review
your original course materials; there will NOT be enough
time in your course to cover all the material presented
in your original course...yet you are still responsible
for knowing it. If this is your first WMTC course you should
purchase and study the Art
and Technique of Wilderness Medicine prior to your course.
If you are a returning WMTC student and already have a copy
check for updates by clicking on this link.
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What if my certification is from another
company and I want to recertify with WMTC?
We will recertify graduates
from other wilderness medicine providers who teach similar
practice guidelines and who original course is similar in length to ours. Programs who currently meet these standards
are: Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA), Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (SOLO), the Wilderness
Medicine Institute (WMI), First Lead, AIRE Wilderness Medicine, Desert Mountain Medicine, Remote Medicine, and Wilderness Medicine Outfitters (WMO).
Other programs may also qualify for recertification with
us. Graduates from a program other than those listed above
who wish to recertify with us should submit a copy of their
original course syllabus, practice guidelines, and hours,
to our office for approval at least one month prior to registering
for a Review course. All review students must bring a copy
of their certification with them to their course.
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What if my original certification was
with WMTC but I want to recertify with another company?
Although we encourage WMTC
graduates to recertify with us, we do not require it. We
understand that some of our students may occasionally wish
to recertify with another company. To facilitate this process
we have direct reciprocity with Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) via their Challenge Course, Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (SOLO), First Lead, AIRE Wilderness Medicine, Desert Mountain Medicine, Remote Medicine, and Wilderness Medicine Outfitters (WMO). All these organizations will
permit a WMTC graduate to recertify directly with them and
will issue a new certification upon successful completion
of one of their recertification courses. WMTC graduates
should be aware that there are minor differences between
each wilderness medicine provider and are encouraged to
purchase and read the text appropriate to the recertification
course they plan to attend prior to the course.
While we do not yet have direct
reciprocity with the Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI) of NOLS, we have reached
an arrangement with them. WMTC students who wish to recertify
with WMI may take a WMI Receertification Course (NOT a WFA) and download and follow the directions
in our Renewal
Packet. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download
and print the packet. Click here to download Acrobat
Reader 5.0.
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Why do you offer your own CPR certification?
While the skills of CPR (chest
compressions and ventilations) remain the same regardless
of where they are used, the protocols surrounding their
use change slightly to accommodate the wilderness environment.
This is especially true when the rescuer is confronted with
a drowning or avalanche victim with severe hypothermia.
These differences are not addressed in standard CPR courses.
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Where can I recertify my WMTC Wilderness
CPR certification?
You may recertify your CPR
skills with any organization who offers CPR recertification
(including the American Heart Association and the American
Red Cross); however, they will focus on urban medicine protocols
and situations rather than wilderness ones. Wilderness CPR
& AED recertification is a standard part of our Review
and Recertification Course. It is also offered as a stand
alone course. See our Course Schedule
for current course offerings.
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What if the course I want to take is
not on your course schedule?
If a course does not appear on our
course schedule it is not currently being offered or is
not open to the public; approximately 40% of our contracts
are private. Open enrollment courses appear on our course
schedule after they have been contracted. Since requests
for new courses come in on a regular basis, please check
back at least once a month for additions.
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