Wilderness Medicine

Wilderness medicine courses are designed to give you the medical skills, technical skills, and decision-making skills to respond to an incident in the backcountry. Outdoor Pursuits at the University of Portland is a provider school of Desert Mountain Medicine curriculum, one of the premier wilderness medicine education schools, to meet all Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative standards in teaching Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder courses.

These courses are open to the UP community and also to the general community. To learn more about the differences in time commitment and skills taught between Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder Classes, please read more below about each individual offering.

Registration

University of Portland Community: Register Here

Non-University of Portland Community Members: Please call us (503)-943-8748 during our business hours with your name, card number, phone number, and email to register. We are unable to come to the phone outside of these hours: 

• Summer Business hours to call: Mondays and Fridays 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Fall Business hours to call: Mondays through Fridays 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Wilderness First Aid Courses 

Upcoming Dates: August 21st-22nd, 2025 

Price: $295

Certifications Given Upon Completion: Wilderness First Aid, CPR/AED, and Wilderness Anaphylaxis Training

Content Overview:

• Urban vs Wilderness Medicine
• Intro To Wilderness Recreation Law & Liability
• Basic Wilderness Medicine Guidelines
• Intro To Wilderness Risk Management
• Patient Assessment
• Basic Life Support/CPR/AED
• Basic Traumatic Injuries
• Red Flag Backcountry Medical Problems
• Wilderness Anaphylaxis Training
• Basic Environmental Medicine
• Intro To Backcountry Communication Devices
• Basic Documentation
• Basics Of Calling A Rescue
  
  This is a two-day, 16-hour course, 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. each day, with a break for lunch. Participants should expect a mix of classroom instruction, hands-on learning, and scenario-based practice for the wilderness first aid skills they are learning. This course is intended for the outdoor recreationalist (climbers, hikers, skiers, and more!) and is a good introduction to wilderness medicine and basic life support skills. If you're interested in a course geared towards the outdoor professional, please keep an eye out for Wilderness First Responder offerings. 

Additional Program Policies 

• University of Portland and Desert Mountain Medicine staff reserve the right to dismiss anyone from the course who has not done the assigned pre-work 
• University of Portland Outdoor Pursuits has a zero harassment and discrimination policy. University of Portland and Desert Mountain Medicine staff reserve the right to dismiss anyone from the course for behavioral reasons at their discretion. This is including, but not limited to: threatening behavior, aggression, harassment and discrimination.
• For wilderness medicine courses, 1 month or more before the start date of a program, participants can receive a transfer credit for the amount that they paid for the program- no refunds are given. This transfer credit can be used to enroll in a future course with University of Portland Outdoor Pursuits. 1 month or less before the start date of a program, no transfer credits or refunds are given. 

Wilderness First Responder Course

No classes currently scheduled

Price: $850

Certifications Given Upon Completion: Wilderness First Responder, CPR/AED, and Wilderness Anaphylaxis Training

Content Overview

Urban Vs Wilderness Medicine
Wilderness Medicine Guidelines
Wilderness Recreation Law & Liability
Wilderness Anaphylaxis Training
Genitourinary Issues
Mental Health Illnesses
Complex Environmental Medicine
Patient Assessment
Basic Life Support/CPR/AED
Airway Management & Adjuncts
Backcountry Communication Devices
Professionally Calling A Rescue
Basic Vs Expedition First Aid Kits
Improvised Litters
Professional Incident Documentation
Micromedics
Complex Traumatic Injuries
Dislocations
Spine Injury Management
Complex Backcountry Medical Problems
Backcountry Medication Management
Incident Management
Leadership & Critical Thinking During An Incident
Complex Night Scenario Simulation
Psychological First Aid

This is a five-day, 50 hour course, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. each day, with a break for lunch, and also with an additional night scenario requirement on the fourth day. There is 30 hours of mandatory online pre-work that must be completed with an 80 percent pass rate prior to the beginning of the course. This online portion will be opened to students 1 month prior to the start date of the course. Participants should expect a mix of classroom instruction, hands-on learning, and scenario-based practice for the skills they are learning. This course is the standard for those working in the outdoor industry in a professional capacity- guides, field work, trail work, etc. If you're interested in a certification more for the general outdoor recreationalist, please look into our Wilderness First Aid offerings.