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Wilderness Medicine Training Center

Standard WFR & WEMT/WEMR Recertification Course - Sample Syllabus

26 Total Hours *


Our Recertification course focuses on updates, patient assessment, and evacuation while providing a thorough review of the original course material. 90% of the course is hands-on simulations, skill labs, and case study reviews. 


This syllabus may change based on particular course needs, changes in certification standards, etc. We'll do our best to keep it updated here!

Topics and Schedule

Day 1

  • Course Introduction & Pre-course Test Reviewroduction & Pre-course Test Review
  • Digital Trauma Case Studies
  • Basic Life Support Simulations
  • Patient Assessment, Evaluation, & SOAP Documentation Review
  • Physical Exam & Focused Spine Assessment Review
  • Traumatic Simulations
  • Demo & assign cut T-shirt rolls
  • Case Study Homework
  • Evening Session
  • Adult & Child CPR & AED Skills Reviewview


Day 2

  • Case Study Homework Review
  • Extremity Splint Review
  • Dislocations Review
  • Traumatic Simulation
  • Digital Environmental Case Studies
  • Traumatic Simulations
  • Case Study Homework


Day 3

  • Case Study Homework Reviewudy Homework Review
  • Spine Management Review
  • Improvised Pelvic Binder Review
  • Assessing Medical Problems Review
  • Medical Simulations
  • Mental Health Emergencies
  • Final Written Exams & Review
  • Course Debrief & Closing
  • Clean-up

* The curriculum for this course is flexible and focuses on accurate patient assessment and evaluation during simulations. Depending on the assessed needs of the students, some topics may not be addressed. NOTE: the pre-course and final tests cover all the original course topics. 


Lab Descriptions

  • Adult & Child CPR and AED Certification Skills Lab: Adult & Child CPR, AED, and Obstructed Airway skills are refined using mannikins.
  • Extremity Splints Review: Padded aluminum splints and expedition supplies are used to improvise effective extremity splints using the buddy, cast, jelly roll, sandwich splint concepts. Bring a cut T-shirt roll and a pair of heavy hiking socks; the socks will not be cut.
  • Focused Spine Assessment Review: How to assess and rule out possible spine injuries in a wilderness context.
  • Spine Management Review: Lifting, moving, and packaging potentially spine-injured patients lying on their back and side in a commercial or improvised litter and improvised stretcher.
  • Improvised Pelvic Binder Review: Common expedition equipment is used to improvise an effective pelvic binder.
  • Dislocations Lab: Relocation techniques for indirect anterior shoulder, lateral patella, and digits are demonstrated and practiced. Jaw reduction and passive anterior shoulder reduction techniques are demonstrated.
  • Improvised Hypothermia Packaging Review: Sleeping bags, pads, tarps or plastic sheeting, and water bags/bottles are used to improvise a hypothermia package.
  • Simulations: Role plays incorporating patient assessment & documentation. Make-up is used to increase the reality of traumatic simulations and cuttable simulation clothing is required.