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.
AWEP Schedule At A Glance
Group 1
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Saturday, July 26 | 7:30 am to 3:45 pm |
Sunday, July 27 | 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm |
Monday, July 28 | 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm |
Tuesday, July 29 | 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm |
Group 2
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Saturday, July 26 | 7:30 am to 3:45 pm |
Sunday, July 27 | 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm |
Wednesday, July 30 | 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm |
Thursday, July 31 | 8:00 am to 11:30 am |
Note: The AWEP schedule is designed to dovetail with the schedule of the main conference presentations.
AWEP Detailed Schedule
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 26
*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 am - 8:15 am
Introduction and Overview
8:15 am - 10:15 am
Initial Patient Assessment & Stabilization
- Scene safety
- Initial (primary) patient assessment with wilderness approach to the "A, B, Cs"
- Techniques for rolling and moving a victim
- Single rescuer considerations
- Clearing and protecting cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine in the wilderness
- Improvising a cervical collar
10:15 - 10:30 am
Break
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Packaging, Lifting, Moving Patients in the Wilderness or Austere Environment
- Tarp liters
- Triage and prioritizing actions for care
- Long-term evacuation considerations
- Scene management and roles of team members
- Communication
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Lunch
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Rescue in the Backcountry: Improvised Trauma Care
- Carries and Improvised evacuation techniques
- Cocoon wrap with liter construction
- Considerations for packaging and carrying a patient
2:00 pm - 2:15 pm
Break
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Rescue in the Backcountry: Improvised Trauma Care Continued
- Shoulder assessment, reduction, and stabilization
- 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)
Sunday, July 27
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Management of Medical Emergencies
- MI
- CVA
- Diabetes
- Anaphyllaxis
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Concepts of Airway Management & Fluid Resuscitation Skills
- Airway management considerations
- Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal airways
- Vascular access
- Intraosseous (IO) needles
3:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Break
3:15 pm - 3:45 pm
Communication and Aeromedical
- Introduction to helicopter safety protocols
- Patient preparation for air evacuation
- Landing zone safety and size considerations
- Landing zone safety and size considerations
3:45 pm - 4:15 pm
Backcountry Soft Tissue and Wound Management
- Considerations for cleaning wounds in the back country
- Wound closure techniques for those that suture and for those that don’t
- Evacuation considerations for severe wounds
- Equipment and supplies for a wound care kit
4:15 pm - 5:15 pm
Care of Traumatic Injuries in the Wilderness
- Assessment of a victim with head trauma
- Concussion management in the wilderness
- Management of chest injuries including pneumothorax
- Abdominal assessment and evacuation considerations
Monday, July 28
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Improvised Trauma and Ortho Care
- Use and application of tourniquets
- Improvised splinting using malleable aluminum splints
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Wilderness Rescue Part: Ropes and Knots
- Introduction to ropes and knots for rescue and medical care
- Making an improvised harness
4:00 pm - 4:15 pm
Break
4:15 pm - 5:45 pm
Practice Stations
Tuesday, July 29
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Holes and Jams
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Scenario Training With Dry Run
- Scenario dress rehearsal
- Real-time critique
3:30 pm - 3:45 pm
Break
3:45 pm - 4:45 pm
Patient Scenario
- Participants will be responsible for assessing, stabilizing, and managing multiple victims with simulated injuries or illnesses using commonly available backcountry equipment
4:45 pm - 5:15 pm
Scenario Debriefing
5:15 pm - 5:30 pm
Online Exam Instructions, Summation
UPCOMING CME DESTINATIONS BY DATE
Jan 25 - Feb 1, 2025
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