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 PM-7pm
• Fall Business hours to call: Mondays through Fridays 2pm-6pm

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 A.M.-5:30P.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 look into our Wilderness First Responder offerings.
  
  

Wilderness First Responder Courses

Upcoming Dates: December 12th-16th, 2025

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 a.m-6P.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.
  
  

Frequently Asked Questions

When does registration close? Registration for WFAs close 2 weeks in advance of the course start date, and registration for WFRs close 1 month in advance of the course start date. Registrations may also close when the courses are full. Folks frequently ask if we are able to extend the deadline for registration, unfortunately, these are unable to be extended, as we need a firm count to order textbooks and other supplies for the courser- also the WFR courses have an online component that opens 1 month prior to the course. 

Where are these courses held? These courses are held in a classroom at the Beauchamp center at the University of Portland. More information on parking and classroom details is sent in the logistics packet after registration. 

What do we need to pack, bring, or prepare? A logistics email will be sent 1 month in advance of WFR courses, and 2 weeks in advance of WFA courses with logistics such as: what to pack, where to meet, what to expect.  For Wilderness First Responder Courses, there is 30 hours of online prework that must be completed with at least an 80 percent pass rate. For Wilderness First Aid courses, there is no pre-work or prerequisites. 

How do we access the online component for the Wilderness First Responder Course? 1 month in advance of the course start date, students will be added to the Canva online portion of the course, and will be emailed with instructions on how to access the online component. 

Are there any scholarships or financial aid available for this courses? At this time, we are unable to provide any scholarships, discounts, payment plans, or financial aid for these courses. Participants must be prepared to pay the full course fee amount up front prior upon registration.  

What is the refund policy if we can no longer attend? 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. 

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.