Scope of Education

The Scope of Education (SoE) defines the core and elective curriculum and associated learning objectives at each wilderness medicine certification level.

Late updated: March 6th, 2020

Our SoE, curriculum, course delivery, and training standards are evidence-based and align with our company's values and mission to create a safer outdoor community. Read more about our mission and values here.

In striving to maintain our evidence-based requirements, the SoE is a dynamic document that is regularly updated based on ongoing analysis, assessment, evaluation and improvement:

Aggregated Analysis - Various factors are considered in the ongoing development of our Scope of Education and Curriculum, including current research, statistics, industry standards, medical guidelines, expert opinion, education models, latest technology, national scope of practices, and community needs. Included in our curriculum are WMS practice guidelines, AHA/ECC guidelines and the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative scope of practice, among others.
Assessment and Evaluation - Our process of assessment and evaluation includes both internal and external methods of gathering data, including professional curriculum review, instructor feedback, student feedback, student performance, course delivery, surveys, research, and more.
Process Improvement - During Process Improvement, our Scope of Education and Curriculum are improved based on the results provided from the aggregated analysis, assessment, and evaluation processes. Our Chief Medical Director, Dr. Tim Durkin, approves all improvements made to the SoE and Curriculum before publication in our courses.

The core curriculum is the curriculum that is included in every certification course and differs between the certification levels. The elective curriculum contains the approved topics that can be added to a certification course.

WFA Scope of Education

WFR Scope of Education

WEMT Scope of Education - Pending

Curriculum and Program Standards

All Base Medical courses are delivered online or in a hybrid format, incorporating the capabilities of online learning with professionally guided practical training by our Base Medical Certified Instructors.

Curriculum Authors

Leading industry experts in the fields of wilderness medicine, mountain rescue, and other outdoor safety specialty areas author our curriculum. Curricula are written to the Scope of Education and approved by our Chief Medical Director. Learn more about our curriculum authors here.

Learning Objectives

Our learning objectives guide our curriculum, online courses, student assessment, and practical training delivered by Base Medical Certified Instructors. The learning objectives are written according to the most appropriate learning domain of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Online Didactics

Our online curriculum consists of video-based lectures, quizzes, and exams. Interactive scenarios, critical thinking exercises, and other learning methods further assist each student in achieving our curriculum objectives and will be incorporated into our online courses.

Base Medical Certified Instructors

Base Medical Certified Instructors provide the practical training of our hybrid courses. Instructors guide student learning, teach to the SoE, and ensure adherence to our SoE training standards. Base Medical Certified Instructors have completed our intensive instructor training program.