Wilderness medicine is medical care delivered in austere environments where professional medical support or outside rescue may be hours or days away. It goes beyond basic first aid and requires the skills to properly move a trauma victim, do a quick head to toe examination, offer basic life support and pain management, among other treatment, after an outdoor accident. If you regularly enjoy time outdoors hiking, hunting, rafting, etc., you could consider getting a wilderness medicine certification. This certification will allow you to take the medical lead should an accident happen while you’re out in the backcountry.
You can get a wilderness medicine certification from your local Wilderness Medical Society or the National Outdoor Leadership School. Some common certifications offered by these organizations include wilderness first aid, wilderness first responder, wilderness EMT, and advanced wilderness life support. To get any of these certifications will take you between one day and two months and you don’t need any prior medical training.