AWEP Certification®

Advanced Wilderness & Expedition Provider

July 25 - 29, 2026

Big Sky Resort, MT

Advanced level intensive and hands-on training taught by leaders in Wilderness Medicine including Howard Donner, MD, Sheryl Olson, RN/BSN, Eric Weiss, MD, and Larry Moore, MD.

Students will learn practical techniques and practice them in mock scenarios. Successful completion of the course leads to AWEP Certification® and 15.5 additional AMA PRA Category 1 Credits®.

Take your wilderness medical skills to the next level and experience why AWEP is so highly rated by physicians, PAs, NPs, and nurses.

The schedule listed below is preliminary and subject to change.

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AWEP Schedule At A Glance

Group 1

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Saturday, July 25, 20268:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday, July 26, 20261:30 pm to 5:15 pm
Monday, July 27, 20261:30 pm to 5:15 pm
Tuesday, July 28, 20261:30 pm to 5:00 pm

Group 2

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Saturday, July 25, 20268:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday, July 26, 20261:30 pm to 5:15 pm
Monday, July 27, 20261:30 pm to 5:15 pm
Wednesday, July 29, 20261:30 pm to 5:00 pm

Note: The AWEP schedule is designed to dovetail with the schedule of the main conference presentations.

AWEP Detailed Schedule

Wilderness Medicine Advanced Wilderness Expedition Provider Certification

Course tuition: $545

Includes: 15.5 additional AMA PRA Category 1 Credits® all supplies, syllabus, breakfast, patch, and certificate

The AWEP Certification® Course is scheduled so that students will be able to attend all plenary sessions at the National Conference on Wilderness Medicine. Note: To register for AWEP, you must be registered for the main conference.

The AWEP Certification® Course is valid for 4 years and is the highest wilderness medicine certification we offer. AWEP is scheduled so that students will be able to attend all plenary sessions at the National Conference on Wilderness Medicine. Note: To register for AWEP, you must be registered for the main conference.

Saturday, July 25, 2026

This schedule is preliminary and subject to change.

*Note: This is the detailed schedule for AWEP | Group 1. The detailed schedule for Group 2 will be slightly different and can be seen "at a glance" in the section above on this webpage.

8:00 - 8:30 am
BREAKFAST

8:30 - 9:00 am
INTRODUCTION TO COURSE

9:00 – 10:30 am
RESCUE IN THE BACKCOUNTRY: IMPROVISED MEDICAL & TRAUMA CARE – PART 1 (1.5 CME HRS)

  • Improvised evacuation techniques
  • Improvised litter construction, packaging, and carries

10:30 – 10:45 am
BREAK

10:45 - 12:15 pm
RESCUE IN THE BACKCOUNTRY: IMPROVISED MEDICAL & TRAUMA CARE – PART 2 (1.5 CME HRS)

  • Shoulder assessment, reduction, and splinting  
  • Femur fracture and improvised femoral traction with discussion of current trends and necessity of application
  • Assessment and reduction of other joint dislocations (elbow, finger, patella, ankle)

12:15 am - 1:45 pm
LUNCH

1:45 - 3:15 pm
LIFTING & MOVING PATIENTS IN THE WILDERNESS OR AUSTERE ENVIRONMENT (1.5 CME HR)

  • Patient movement and transfers
  • Clearing cervical spine injuries in the field
  • Improvising effective cervical collars
  • Pelvic fracture; assessment and management
  • Hip dislocation; assessment and relocation technique
  • Patient management during a long evacuation

3:15– 3:30 pm
BREAK

3:30 – 5:00 pm
SCENE MANAGEMENT WITH INITIAL PATIENT ASSESSMENT AND STABILIZATION (1.5 CME HRS)

  • Scene safety
  • Field triage, examination, and assessment
  • Treatment priorities
  • Stabilization of injured or ill patients
  • Communication considerations
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AWEP - Carry Litter

Sunday, July 26, 2026

1:30 - 3:15 pm
IMPROVISED TRAUMA & ORTHO CARE (1.75 CME HR)

  • Wilderness assessment methods for sprains versus fractures
  • Assessment and stabilization of upper and lower extremity fractures
  • Improvised splinting techniques
  • Use and application of tourniquets for managing arterial bleeds

3:15 – 3:30 pm
BREAK

3:30 – 5:15 pm
WILDERNESS RESCUE WITH INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL RESCUE TECHNOLOGY (1.5 CME HOURS)

  • Introduction to ropes and knots for rescue and medical care
  • Improvising a safety harness to aid in the rescue of a victim
  • Introduction to commercial rescue equipment, including liters, spine boards, and vacuum liter
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Monday, July 27, 2026

1:30 – 2:00 pm
BACKCOUNTRY SOFT TISSUE AND WOUND MANAGEMENT (0.5 CME HR)

  • Healing by primary versus secondary intention
  • High risk versus low risk wounds
  • Wound management; cleaning, closure options, dressings
  • Infection control
  • Evacuation considerations

2:00 – 2:30 pm
CONCEPTS OF AIRWAY AND FLUID RESUSCITATION IN THE WILDERNESS (0.5 CME HR)

  • Airway emergencies in an austere environment
  • Vascular access, including intraosseous (IO) techniques and fluid replacement systems
  • Dehydration and hyponatremia

2:30– 2:45 pm
BREAK

2:45– 5:15 pm
PRACTICE STATIONS ROTATIONS (2.5 CME HOURS)

  • Bleeding
  • Vacuum liter demo
  • Airway, IO, tourniquets
  • Hypothermia wrap (Cocoon wrap)
  • Femur Traction splint
  • Shoulder wrap, pelvic binders
Patient Assessment Wilderness Medicine CME Course

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

1:30 – 2:00 pm
COMMUNICATION AND AEROMEDICAL (0.5 CME HRS)

  • Radio usage and frequencies
  • Introduction to helicopter safety protocols
  • Patient preparation for air evacuation

2:00 – 2:15 pm
BREAK

2:15 – 3:00 PM
PRACTICE SCENARIO AND DEBRIEF (0.75 CME HRS)

3:00 – 4:15 PM
PATIENT SCENARIOS AND DEBRIEF (1.25 CME HRS)

  • Participants will be responsible for assessing, stabilizing, and managing multiple victims with simulated injuries or illnesses using commonly available backcountry equipment

4:15 – 5:00 pm
ONLINE EXAM INSTRUCTIONS, SUMMATION, AND FAREWELL

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UPCOMING CME DESTINATIONS BY DATE

UPCOMING CME DESTINATIONS BY DATE