Wilderness First Responder
NEXT AVAILABLE COURSE
May 6-9, 2025
OR
Sept 29 - oct 2, 2025
Bellever Tor, Dartmoor
6 day course
2 days pre-course learning (Self Directed)
4 days practical component in Dartmoor
The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course is an international recognised qualification offering 60 hours of learning / CPD.
This intensive and very practical course is delivered over 4 days, with 2 days of knowledge acquisition completed prior to the course. There is continuous practical assessment throughout the course and written exam on the final day.
The course gives a 2 year certificate for use of Prescription Only Medications (POMs) of drugs taught on the course and for use in remote settings outside the UK, and governance of administration of intramuscular injections and subcutaneous fluid.
It is an ideal qualification for guides and outdoor instructors wanting to take their medical skills to the next level, or for healthcare professionals embarking on a career in expedition medicine.
If you are looking for a shorter course that specifically focuses on working in remote locations around the globe with very limited access to pre-hospital services then please review our
Remote Medical Responder Course.
Wilderness Medical Training COURSE - OVERVIEW
The course is designed and delivered by senior expedition medical doctors. Medical and trauma scenarios focus on remote and wilderness emergencies of the sort you may find when on an expedition within the UK, or countries with access to pre-hospital services. It is therefore also an excellent starting point for those junior clinicians looking to launch a career in expedition and wilderness medicine, providing you with the knowledge and skills to approach medical or trauma emergencies with structure and confidence, and the decision making and communication skills necessary for a timely evacuation.
The 6 day course includes 2 days of pre-course remote learning followed by 4 days of intensive practical teaching and learning using case discussions and scenarios of medical emergencies, trauma, wounds and burns, environmental injuries, and mental health and wellbeing; it also covers some of the non-medical aspects of being a WFR such as expedition medical planning, organising, putting together an expedition medical kit, camp skills, navigation and safety.
UK courses includes an overnight expedition to a remote location with trauma scenarios en route.
This course has been approved for Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine credits through the Wilderness Medical Society. Actual credits awarded depend on personal credit needs and history
Wilderness MEdical COURSE itinerary
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Legal and ethical considerations of giving care in the wilderness
Expedition medical planning including human factors and heuristics
Basic Life Support
A-E assessment
Normal vital signs
BLS with basic airway management
Oxygen use, management and storage
Use of NPA (Nasopharyngeal Airways)
Demo of OPA (Oropharyngeal Airway) and iGel
Anaphylaxis
Drowning
Medical Illnesses:
asthma, cardiac disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal illness, stroke
Good nursing care
Environmental injuries; heat, cold, altitude, jungle
Tropical medicine, bites and stings
Head and spinal injuries
Chest and abdominal trauma
Fractures and dislocations
Expedition nutrition
Women’s health in the wilderness
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09:30 Introductions and aims of the course
10:00 Round table medical planning workshop
11:00 Break
11:30 Practical round robin
DR ABCDE
BLS, AED, drowning, choking
Vital signs, airway (NP, with OPA demo) and oxygen
Anaphylaxis
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Practical:
Wounds and burns
Practice closing wounds with glue and steri strips
Application of bandages and dressings
15:00 Case discussion: medical illnesses refresher
15:45 Tea
16:15 Scenarios: medical illness and emergencies
17:30 Close
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08:30 Workshop: legal and ethical considerations; documentation
09:00 Case discussions and practical:
Trauma recap
Wilderness triad
Catastrophic bleeding and tourniquets
Pelvic and femoral bleeding splinting
10:00 Expedition medical planning (preparation for wild camp activity)
10:30 Break and get overnight kit
11:00 Navigate to wild camping location
Topics to be discussed at camp:
Public health and hygiene
Water purification
Nutritional considerations
Wilderness wellbeing and mental healthAfternoon practical session
Head and spinal injuries
Assessment and tools for decision making
Log rolls
Straddle lifts
How to make a neck safe
Carrying casualties short distance
Packaging casualties for evacuation
Rope stretcher / improvised carry
Dinner at camp
Trauma in the dark…
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09:00 Practical: fractures, dislocations and splinting
Analgesia options in trauma - Penthrox demo
Assessing and splinting fractures, slings
Reducing dislocations: finger, shoulder, patella, ankle
10:30 Tea
11:00 Multi trauma and triage
Multi trauma scenarios
13:30 Lunch
14:30 Mental health discussion
16:00 Tea
16:15 Medical kits and drug checklist / documentation
17:30 Close
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09:00 Practical: ENT and eyes
Examining and eye and removing a foreign body (lid eversion)
Examining an ear
Looking in a throat
Rapid rhino nose demo
10:00 Tea
10:15 Giving IM injections
11:15 Environmental illness case discussions / scenario
Heat, cold, tropical, altitude
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Scenarios: medical and trauma
Beyond the avalanche - managing airway and trauma post avalanche
15:30 Tea
15:45 Written exam
16:30 Certificates
17:00 Course depart
LOGISTICS
Cost: £850
INCLUDED
✓ Course tuition ✓ 2 years governance for Prescription only Medication ✓ Endeavour flash cards
✓ Accommodation ✓ Food
NOT INCLUDED
Alcohol, snacks, personal equipment
UK Courses only: Accommodation for the first two nights of the course is in a youth hostel dormitory accommodation.
Breakfast and dinner are in the YHA, and there is a packed lunch
The third night is a wild camp (weather permitting) and we will be eating expedition style food
Please bring your own snacks
What our course attendees have said
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“Relevant to [my] job and environment. Excellent balance of theory and plenty of hands on and practical sessions which included feedback and recapping from the previous day. New and different to other courses I have done. Brilliant course leaders were fantastic; interesting, knowledgeable, experienced, fun, happy to answer all kinds of questions and go off on tangents.”
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“Super thorough. It’s been the best first aid course that I’ve attended!”
Next available Wilderness courses
Bellever Tor, Dartmoor
May 5-8, 2025
Full course details here
The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course from Endeavour Medical is an intensive and very practical course delivered over 4 days, plus 1 day remote pre-course learning completed in your own time. It is aimed at outdoor specialists such as guides and instructors, mountain and expedition leaders, and other outdoor professionals, as well as medical practitioners with an interest in developing the knowledge and skills to deal with medical emergencies that occur in remote and wilderness settings.
Bellever Tor, Dartmoor
September 29 - October 2, 2025
Full course details here
The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course from Endeavour Medical is an intensive and very practical course delivered over 4 days, plus 1 day remote pre-course learning completed in your own time. It is aimed at outdoor specialists such as guides and instructors, mountain and expedition leaders, and other outdoor professionals, as well as medical practitioners with an interest in developing the knowledge and skills to deal with medical emergencies that occur in remote and wilderness settings.
If you require further information about this course, please email us at: