Wilderness Medicine

Why NOLS Wilderness Medicine

Over 30 years of teaching emergency medical care in remote environments. Our data-informed curriculum, expert educators, and hands-on scenarios prepare you for the real challenges of wilderness response.

a woman in a white hats talks to a man in winter clothes who is holding the head of a second man who is laying on the ground

Why Choose NOLS

Four reasons people choose NOLS Wilderness Medicine

From instructors to curriculum to skills practice, every part of a NOLS Wilderness Medicine course is built to make you ready when help is hours away.

Your Wilderness Medicine Instructors

NOLS instructors are expert educators with deep medical and wilderness leadership experience. They are veterans, NPS rangers, outdoor educators, flight nurses, and more.

Immersive Curriculum

Built by industry experts, field tested by expedition instructors, and informed by decades of injury and illness data so you're prepared for the most likely incidents in the backcountry.

Essential Wilderness Skills

Patient assessment, wound management, splinting, evacuation, and improvisation with limited resources, the skills that matter when you're on your own.

Risk Management Mindset

Recognize complications early, make informed decisions under pressure, and prioritize patient wellbeing in environments where help is distant or unavailable.

NOLS courses for medical professionals offer CMEs and CEUs and are designed to help you adapt your urban medical knowledge to remote settings, where minimal equipment and your ability to improvise are crucial to patient wellbeing.

NOLS Wilderness Medicine

For PA, RN, EMT, MD, DO, PT, and OT

From our graduates

What students say after the course

Real responses from people who took NOLS Wilderness Medicine into the field.

"The hands-on scenarios changed how I think under pressure. Hours from help, you fall back on what you actually practiced. NOLS made sure I had practiced it."

Wilderness First Responder graduate

Outdoor educator

"I came in as a working RN and left with a completely new framework for assessment in resource-limited settings. The instructors were the best part, field-tested and clear."

Wilderness EMT graduate

Registered Nurse

Wilderness Medicine at NOLS

Find the right course for where you are

From a 2-day intro to the 26-day intensive, our courses meet outdoor enthusiasts, professionals, and healthcare providers at their level.

Wilderness First Aid (WFA)

2-day, hands-on introduction to managing common injuries and serious emergencies. No prior experience required.

Wilderness First Responder (WFR)

10-day industry standard for guides, trip leaders, search and rescue, and outdoor educators.

Wilderness EMT (WEMT)

26-day intensive that combines urban EMT certification with wilderness medicine training.

For Medical Professionals

Specialized courses with CMEs that adapt your urban medical training to the unique challenges of remote settings.

Get Started

Ready to be ready?

Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, healthcare professional, or aspiring wilderness leader, NOLS Wilderness Medicine prepares you for the call.