Wilderness Advanced Life Support (WALS)

Learning Outcomes

• Become competent performing patient assessments and creating clear treatment plans without access to advanced diagnostic tools
• Acquire skills and knowledge to manage environmental problems and evacuations
• Gain experience working with basic and useful tools — and improvising with equipment — that teams commonly carry in low-resource settings
• Practice team rescues, leadership, decision-making, and patient care during challenging rescue simulations
• Learn through hands-on training sessions, as well as classroom lecture and discussion
• Grow your confidence on one of the best courses you'll ever experience — delivered by professional, dynamic, and fun instructors.

Topics Covered

• General principles of wilderness medicine
• The Patient Assessment System
• Critical system problems
• Musculoskeletal injury assessment, treatment, and splinting
• Dislocation reductions
• Spine injury assessment and management
• Allergies and anaphylaxis
• Asthma
• ALS/BLS appropriate technology, injections and injectables, airway and oxygenationm hemorrhage control, etc.
• Pain management
• Wounds and burns
• Environmental medicine: thermoregulation, cold injuries, submersion and diving injuries, lightning, altitude, medical aspects of avalanche rescue
• Toxins, bites, and stings
• Backcountry medicine
• Lifting, moving, and extrication
• Patient packaging, commercial litters, improvised litters, and patient carries
• Principles of wilderness rescue, evacuations, and decision making
• Roles and responsibilities, communications, team performance, and leadership
• Medical legal issues
• And more

Requirements

To be eligible to register for the WALS course, participants must* meet the following 2 requirements:

1. Be Advanced Life Support (ALS/ACLS) trained; and
2. Have current certification and be licensed in a region as a:

• Physician (MD or DO)
• Advanced Practice Provider (Nurse Practitioner or Physicians Assistant)
• Registered Nurse
• Advanced Care Paramedic, Critical Care Paramedic, Advanced EMT, EMT-P, or other advanced care pre-hospital provider

*The lead instructor along with the WMA office may agree to admit others on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you have any questions about your eligibility.

Pre-course prep

You must complete 8+ hours of pre-learning, before the start of the course.

6 weeks before your course, we'll email you a link and login instructions to WMA's online learning platform (see tech requirements below). The prep includes reading, videos, case studies to submit, and an online exam.

You'll also have access to the mandatory material as well as optional additional resources.

Pre-course prep technology requirements

For the WALS pre-course prep, you'll need:

• Access to high speed internet throughout the 8+ e-learning hours
• A laptop or desktop computer with:

1. A PDF reader
2. Anti-virus software
3. Internet browser (latest version of Chrome, Firefox, or Edge). Note: the system isn't compatible with Safari.

Certification

• Wilderness Advanced Life Support completion card (electronic, valid for 3 years.

WALS is a wilderness "endorsement" a practitioner's current licensure level: it is contingent upon current regional or national registration as a medical provider.

Included materials

• Physical books: Wilderness and Rescue Medicine (WARM): A practical Guide for the Basic and Advanced Practitioner, SOAP note booklet, waterproof WMA field guide, WMA lecture notes

Please note: You'll receive your books on the first morning of your course. You'll have access to an online version of the WARM book with your pre-course materials (you'll receive the login link 6 weeks before your course). If you'd like a physical copy mailed to you in advance, please pay for shipping by contacting us or select this option when you register.

• E-learning: You'll have access to the online learning platform for 3 years after your course

Continuing Education Credits

The WALS course provides valuable continuing education credits for medical professionals in Canada, the U.S., and worldwide.

Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM)

Earn up to 36 FAWM credits through the Wilderness Medical Society. The final number of credits depends on your individual credit needs and prior history.

Credits by profession

Physicians

• Canada: 36 hours of Mainpro-C credits through the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
• U.S. & International:

1. 36 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.
2. Planned in accordance with ACCME standards through the joint providership of the Wilderness Medical Society and Wilderness Medical Associates International.

Paramedics & Advanced EMTs

• 36 hours of CAPCE-approved credits (Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education).

Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants

• Many nursing and allied health organizations accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credits and CAPCE-approved credits. Check with your licensing body or employer to confirm.

Daily schedule

After registering, you'll receive a Student Information Package by email with specific meeting times for your course. Typically, hours are from 8:30am - 5:30pm with one evening session (usually on day 3) going to 9:30pm.

Activities and activity level

This course includes a mix of indoor classroom time and outdoor practice time. Be prepared for days full of learning and group work.

On the last day, after a preparatory session on planning, risk management, and evacuations, we'll depart for a 5 to 6 hour day-hike. This will be on relatively easy, non-technical terrain on trails through the woods, although some parts may take place off trails, You don't need any previous hiking experience. We won't be covering a huge distance (5km / 3 miles max) — but this will be a full day as we'll have medical simulations and debriefs along the way as well as a lunch break. Much of the learning from the whole course comes together on this day of additional challenge and hands-on application of wilderness medicine.

Assessment and evaluation for certification

This course is pass/fail. Practical assessment is ongoing and is based on practical patient simulations and hands-on activities. There is a written exam to be completed as part of the pre-course prep. Instructors will do everything they can to accommodate students with different learning styles and needs. Let us know what we can do to help you succeed.

Attendance is mandatory

Attendance for 100% of class time is mandatory. If you cannot make a session you must get permission from the instructor in advance. Students who miss a section of the course without pre-approval may be asked to leave the course.

Please bring appropriate clothing and equipment to be comfortable outdoors for the entire day, this means (for late fall, winter, and early spring courses) lots of thick, warm layers and extra toques, mitts, socks, and footwear — and lots of snack food.

If you eat well, layer-up, and have extra dry items to change into, you'll stay functional, get the most out of your training, and have the best chance of achieving certification.

Checklist

Equipment & Supplies

• A large backpack to carry extra food, water, clothing, and supplies.
• Day pack for storing your books and belongings during class
• A set of clothing that can be stained and cut during simulations (expect to throw these away)
• Eye protection. Please bring any of the following: safety glasses, sun glasses, or prescription glasses, or face shield.
• Hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol
• Notebook and pens
• Waterproof digital watch (for taking vital signs). This is mandatory, you can't use a smart phone.
• Water bottle(s) or hydration pack x 2 litres
• Snack foods (lots!)
• Lunch. Unless you're on a course with a meal plan that you're registered for, please bring your lunch for each day: you won't necessarily have time to go to a store or restaurant.
• Sunscreen and lip protection
• Bug repellent and headnet (season dependent)
• Headlamp with extra batteries
• A camping pad to lie on outside such as an Ensolate pad or Ridgerest. A lightweight inflatable mattress can work as well but this will be directly on the ground and it may get damaged and dirty — so make it an old one that you aren't worried about puncturing.
• A ~10' x 12' windproof and waterproof tarp. This can be inexpensive and/or old and/or a big plastic sheet or construction membrane.
• A ~5' x 8' tarp or emergency blanket. Preferably something lightweight — a retired tent fly or tent footprint can work well.
• A fleece or wool blanket. For splinting and patient packaging. Retired fleece sweaters can work as well.
• Five (5) x ~2m to 2.5m long pieces of rope, webbing, or straps (these can be anything, no strength rating required)
• Personal medications
• Personal hygiene products
• Optional: Sunglasses
• Optional: Coffee or tea thermos
• Optional: Waterproof paper and pen
• Optional: Skis, snowshoes (for winter courses), bicycle, or hiking gear (for spring, summer, fall)
• Optional: any gear or medical equipment that you'd like to try out using for splinting, patient packaging, patient care, etc. (example: telescoping hiking/ski poles, straps, p-cord, etc.)

Outdoor Clothing

• Synthetic or wool base layers; top and bottom
• Synthetic or wool insulation layers
• Waterproof jacket and pants
• Warm socks (pack extras)
• *Shoes or boots appropriate for weather and rough terrain — an extra pair in case one get's wet is a good idea.
• 2 x Toque (warm hat), scarf or neck warmer (winter courses), or sun hat
• 2 or 3 x Liner gloves/mitts/ and *over mittens (winter courses)

*Note: in cold conditions, roominess in your boots and mitts makes all the difference for warmth. If they're too tight fitting — your feet and hands will be cold.

Indoor Clothing

• Comfortable clothing and socks to wear indoors
• Optional: slippers

Lodging and Camping Supplies (Optional)

Some courses include lodging or camping options — click on a specific course date and location to see the options.

For courses with lodging, we'll send you lodging details and packing lists along with your Student Information Package as soon as you register.