Wilderness EMT
Course Length
200 hours
Aerie offers both accelerated and extended course formats. Condensed courses may be completed in as little as four weeks, while extended formats are delivered on evenings and weekends over several months. Please consult our course calendar for current Wilderness EMT (W-EMT) schedules and formats.
Certifications & Credits
(Awarded upon successful course completion; some options require additional fees)
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Valid for 2 years
Requires successful completion of the National Registry online exam and an additional $98 fee (subject to change). - Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (W-EMT) – Valid for 2 years
- National Registry EMT (NREMT) – Valid for 2 years
Requires successful completion of the National Registry online exam. - American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR – Valid for 2 years
- State of Montana EMT License – Valid for 2 years (optional; additional $50 fee)
- University of Montana Academic Credit – (optional)
3 credits through the Department of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training
Course: ECP 331
Additional $155 registration fee applies.
Course Description
Aerie’s Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (W-EMT) courses are distinctive within the field, reflecting both the depth of instructor experience and the realism of instructional scenarios. Courses are taught by a multidisciplinary faculty of physicians, paramedics, registered nurses, and EMTs who bring extensive clinical expertise alongside leadership experience in outdoor education and risk management. This ensures instruction is both medically rigorous and operationally relevant.
Students participate in multiple days of immersive urban and wilderness rescue scenarios, including overnight simulated rescues—often in collaboration with search and rescue teams. Instruction frequently includes anatomy and physiology taught in a human cadaver laboratory and hands-on vehicle extrication training conducted with professional firefighters. The result is a comprehensive, experience-driven educational model that prepares students for real-world decision-making in austere environments.
Beyond the standard EMT curriculum, W-EMT courses emphasize patient care in remote and resource-limited settings, where prolonged care, environmental exposure, and logistical constraints significantly impact treatment decisions. Graduates are prepared to provide effective medical care in both urban and backcountry contexts.
Aerie alumni have gone on to work as EMTs, physicians, registered nurses, paramedics, firefighters, ski patrollers, guides, field biologists, and outdoor leaders. As such, the W-EMT is well suited for outdoor professionals engaged in extended backcountry travel, as well as individuals pursuing employment with ambulance services, search and rescue teams, and ski patrol organizations.
Affiliations & Format Options
Aerie W-EMT courses follow the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) curriculum and are approved by both NREMT and the Montana Board of Medical Examiners. Upon successful course completion, students are eligible to sit for the National Registry EMT examination. Passing the national exam is required to receive the Aerie W-EMT certificate.
The W-EMT is offered in two formats:
A semester-length evening and weekend course
A four-week intensive course