What is the Wilderness Physical Therapist First Responder Certification and how do I get certified?

The Wilderness Physical Therapist First Responder Certification (WPT-FR) is a prestigious certification denoting individuals trained to provide first response in emergency situations in backcountry environments. This certification is awarded to individuals who successfully complete the Master Class by completing: the two online components “Intro to Wilderness PT” and “Environmental Factors in the Wilderness”, 29-hours of in person instruction, and pass a cumulative exam. This certification is valid for three years from completion.

What is the difference between WFR and WPT-FR?

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 builds upon a medical professional’s foundational knowledge.

Can students register courses and receive a WPT-FR?

At this time students are not eligible to take the Master Class. However, we welcome students to attend our WFA in-person course. If you are a student and interested in wilderness physical therapy, we’d love to hear from you. Please reach out to hello@wildernesspted.com. From there, we can guide you through the online curriculum components and, upon your graduation, attend an in-person Traversing Wilderness PT course to earn your WPT-FR. 

What is the cancellation policy for the Wilderness Physical Therapy Master Class?

Wilderness Physical Therapy Educators a full refund minus a 6% transaction fee for our courses for cancellations over 45 days out from the course. For cancellations within 45 days, we offer a 50% refund. We cannot issue partial CEUs for online course completion upon cancellation.

How do I access the online components of the Master Class?

The online component of the Master Class is hosted on Idaho State University’s Moodle system and will be accessible 45 days prior to the start of the in-course.

I want to take the Master Class and previously purchased the online courses. How does this affect pricing?

If you have previously taken online course “Intro to Wilderness PT” and/or “Environmental Factors in the Wilderness”, please reach out to us at hello@wildernesspted.com so that we can create a personalized discount code deducting the online course price.

How do I earn a Wilderness First Aid certificate (WFA)?

Wilderness PT Educators offers a WFA certificate to those who complete all 4 of our online modules: “Intro to Wilderness PT”, “Environmental Factors in the Wilderness”, “Trauma in the Backcountry”, and “Medical Problems in the Backcountry”. Alternatively, you can earn your WFA at our WFA in-person course.

How do I register for online courses?

If you would like to take our online courses, the registration link will take you to Idaho State University’s page. You will need to create an account before you are able to check out. You can contact cetrain@isu.edu or call (208)282-3372 for technical support related to registration or the Moodle site.

How long do I have access to the online course?

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

Who can take the courses?

Our courses are designed for PTs and PTAs, however other medical professionals interested in emergency wilderness care would find value in our courses. PT-CEUs are issued to qualifying participants. You are welcome to reach out to hello@wildernesspted.com to see if the course is a good fit for you.

Additional Questions?

We are happy to answer any questions you may have via email or through a phone call. Please email hello@wildernesspted.com to get in touch.