We recently conducted a review of our curriculums to ensure that they are up to date and pertinent to the skills and experiences of a remote provider. As you may already know there are not national standards in wilderness medicine training. Virtually anyone can start teaching a course and call it "Wilderness First Responder" or " Wilderness EMT". In short, it is up to the consumer to choose, and the responsibility of the course provider to be honest about the curriculum and instructor level.

I recently noticed that there is a WEMT course out there that doesn't get you an actual EMT-B certification, and the instructional staff do not possess the appropriate credentials to teach an EMT-B course anyway. Furthermore, it is frustrating to me that many WEMT courses are combined Wilderness First Responders and EMT-Basic courses. We are taking a new direction, catering to individuals who must perform medical and rescue skills in remote settings, which is categorically different than the urban setting. While our course has always placed emphasis on the wilderness side, we are pursuing this objective by adding several skills that we believe critical to remote medical care. It is important to note that Remote Medical International has never, and will never accept an urban EMT course and Wilderness First Responder combined for a Wilderness EMT.

The Wilderness EMT from Remote Medical International course now includes:

National Registry EMT-Basic
Washington State EMT-B (optional)
AHA CPR for the Healthcare Provider
US Coast Guard Medical Person in Charge
Remote Medical International Wilderness EMT Certification

This means that we have formalized subjects including foley catheter insertion, IV therapy, suturing, dive emergencies, antibiotic administration, airway management, and pain management/narcotic administration. Additionally, Remote Medical International recently supplemented the W-EMT training equipment to include foley trainers, IV arms, and 2 Advanced Trauma Mannequins which allow students to perform advanced invasive skills in a scenario environment. Our instructor requirements remains the same, all Wilderness EMT courses are led by Remote Site Paramedics who also work in our Medical Support Division. Lectures are also conducted by other Offshore Paramedics, Emergency Nurses, Physicians, and Dentists.

In addition, WEMT students will have opportunities to interface with our new tele-medicine program - having the opportunity to work with online ER physicians during simulations via satellite phone and telex connections. We believe strongly that WEMTs should have the skills to care for patients in a wilderness environment - which means that training should emphasis the high level of knowledge, confidence, and skill required to do so. As always, our courses are hands-on, with an emphasis on information gathering, and building a solid foundation.

For more information on our WEMT course, click here, or call our office at (800) 597-4911 or (206) 686-4878.