Yes. Each course is APTA-NC approved. You will earn CEUs at the time you complete a course. By finishing our full curriculum (4 online courses and 1 in-person course) you will accumulate a total of 4.0 CEUs.

You have 90-days from registration to access the course.

Our courses are designed specifically for physical therapists, however other medical professionals interested in emergency wilderness care would also find valuable information from the courses. PT-CEUs are issued to qualifying participants.

A WPT-FR is issued upon successful completion of all 4 online modules, our in-person course, and a cumulative final exam to individuals that hold a valid CPR/AED certification.

• Introduction to Wilderness PT (online- .5 CEU)

• Environmental Factors in the Wilderness (online- .6 CEU)

• Trauma in the Backcountry (online- .5 CEU)

• Medical Problems in the Backcountry (online- .4 CEU)

• Traversing Wilderness Physical Therapy (in-person 2.0 CEU)

• Final Examination

A key difference between WPT-FR and WFR is that our curriculum is designed by Wilderness PTs, specifically for PTs. 

The Wilderness Physical Therapist-First Responder is a post professional PT-CEU curriculum. While integrating WMS emergency treatment guidelines, the program harnesses the unique skills PTs bring to wilderness medicine. This includes differential diagnosis, non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatments, and essential interpersonal skills for high-stress environments. The program then builds upon this foundational knowledge. 

2 years.

Our in-person course, ‘Traversing Wilderness Physical Therapy*,’ will be offered twice in 2026. Our spring offering is in Columbia, South Carolina (March 20-22). Our fall offering is in Pocatello, Idaho (September 25-27).

*Prerequisite required: All participants must complete our online course ‘Intro to Wilderness PT’ before attending ‘Traversing Wilderness PT.’

Yes. Prior to attending ‘Traversing Wilderness PT,’ all participants must complete our online .5 CEU course, ‘Introduction to Wilderness PT’ and have a current CRP/AED certification. This will provide essential knowledge and background information necessary for success at our hands-on, in-person course.

As a DPT student, you are welcome to begin the online portion of the program. Any online modules you complete can be applied toward certification once you graduate and complete the onsite course Traversing Wilderness Physical Therapy  https://www.wildernesspted.com/traversing-wpt or a future Immersive Master Class as a PT.

To achieve the WPT-FR certification you must be a licensed PT or graduate from a PT program.

We recommend that the courses be taken in sequential order, however each of our online courses are self-contained and may be taken independently. Each course is a module of our WPT-FR and WFA curriculum but also offers substantial value as a stand-alone CEU course.

Upon completion of all 4 online modules (Intro to Wilderness PT, Environmental Factors in the Wilderness, Trauma in the Backcountry, and Medical Problems in the Backcountry) a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Certificate is awarded.

The enrollment link on the course page will take you to Idaho State University’s website. There you select “registration” and then “enroll.” If you do not yet have an ISU profile, you will be asked to create one. Once you log-in, you can pay and begin the course.

Contact cetrain@isu.edu or call (208) 282-3372 for technical support related to registration or the Moodle site.

Please email info@wildernesspted.com with any additional questions. We look forward to connecting with you.