Below are the basic recertification requirements for Aerie’s common course types. Please send us an email at info@aeriemed.com or call the office at (406) 542-9972 if you have any further questions about your certifications.
Wilderness Medicine Essentials (WME)
All WME certifications are valid for two (2) years from the course completion date. There is no WME recertification course. Students can retake the WME course within two years to keep their certification current.
All WME certifications are valid for two (2) years from the course completion date. There is no WFA recertification course. Students can retake the WFA course within two years to keep their certification current.
All WME certifications are valid for two (2) years from the course completion date. There is no specific WAFA recertification course. Students can retake the WAFA course within two (2) years to keep their certification current. A WFR refresher or standard Wilderness First Aid course will recertify WAFA.
All WFR and WFR-Refresher (WFR-R) certifications are valid for two (2) years from the course completion date. Complete a refresher course within this time to stay current and valid.
WFR and WFR-R certifications also have a one year grace period following the expiration date. Your certification is not current during this grace period; it is considered expired.
If you complete a WFR-R course during your grace period, your certification will be refreshed for another two (2) year period (i.e., it will become valid again).
If a WFR-R course is not completed within your one year grace period, you will be required to complete the full course again.
We encourage students to retake the entire WFR every six years to keep their skills current; however, this is not a requirement.
Note about CPR: A non-expired CPR certification is required to keep your WFR certification valid.
Recertifying with another organization:
While we hope you return to Aerie and we offer discounts to Aerie alumni, you are welcome to take courses from other organizations if their schedules and/or locations better meet your needs. Aerie highly encourages courses that prioritize hands-on learning, in-person skills practice, and evaluation.
WFR courses must have a minimum of 70 hours of total instruction and a minimum of 45 hours of in-person instruction. Courses that can not document this requirement can not be recertified by Aerie.
WFR-R
WFR Refresher must have a minimum of 16 hours of instruction, and at least 16 of those hours must be in-person instruction. Courses that can not document this requirement can not be recertified by Aerie.
We want to make your recertification process easy:
Please include ALL of the following, to verify your WFR/WFR-R course:
Company name & instructor name(s)
Course dates
Course location (Aerie will not accept WFR-R courses taught 100% online)
Total course length (in hours); include online vs. in-person hours, if applicable
A copy of the curriculum/schedule/topics covered (i.e. course outline)
If your Aerie certification is valid & not in its grace period:
Enroll in a WFR-R course with another company. We encourage you to confirm with them before registering to ensure they’ll accept your current certification.
After successful completion of that course, you can keep your certification with that new company or you can request an Aerie certification.
If your Aerie certification is in its grace period:
Another company may not accept a certification in its grace period (since the certification is officially considered ‘expired’). However, you can still request to take a WFR-R course with them by asking for a ‘letter of completion’ instead of a certification card.
Submit the ‘letter of completion’ to Aerie. Aerie will generate a certification for you.
Replacement Certification Cards:
Aerie Backcountry Medicine can provide replacement Aerie-issued eCert cards at no charge. A replacement American Heart Association CPR e-card will be provided for a fee of $20. Contact info@aeriemed.com with your name, course type, course dates, and the email address where you’d like the eCerts sent.
Take your training to the next level!
We offer two course types that may interest you. They are the Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) and Semester in Wilderness Medicine. Please, call the Aerie office if you have questions about either of these courses.
