Certification Requirements
Give Six Presentations on ‘Wilderness Medicine’ topics
‘Trackers’ are to present on six different wilderness medicine topics to residents, community health providers, students, special interest groups or to the general public.
This is done primarily, but not exclusively, through participating in the WMT Noon Conference Lecture Series.
Certification in ‘Wilderness Advanced Life Support’ (WALS)
Resident ‘trackers’ participate in the Wilderness Medical Associate’s 5-day Wilderness Advanced Life Support.
The MFMR Wilderness Medicine Track organizes the course biennially in Red Lodge, MT.
MFMR supports the participation of residents by covering class fees and helping to arrange time off.
Attend One National or International ‘Wilderness Medicine’ Conference
'Trackers’ are encouraged to attend one of several ‘Wilderness Medical Society’ conferences offered thrice annually throughout their three years of family medicine training.
Typically, 25-30 credits can be acquired with attendance at a WMS conference.
Complete Two Electives Rotations involving ‘Wilderness Medicine'
‘Trackers’ are required to complete a minimum of two, month-long rotations involving wilderness medicine.
Residents may develop their own rotations through work with rural clinics, national parks, search and rescue outfits or international organizations.
These rotations also fill the MFMR Rural Rotation requirement or can support a research project effort.
Opportunities exist at a variety of established clinic partners including:
- North Valley Hospital in Whitefish, MT near Glacier NP
- Mammoth Clinic in Yellowstone NP
- Red Lodge Clinic near the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
- Big Sky Clinic at the Big Sky Ski Resort
Enroll as Members in the ‘Wilderness Medicine Society’
MFMR reimburses the cost of 3 years of ‘resident’ membership in the ‘Wilderness Medicine Society’.
Assist in Organizing and Executing the ‘MFMR Update in Wilderness Medicine’
‘Trackers’ participate in the organizing and execution of “Update in Wilderness Medicine” This is a biennial conference sponsored by the Montana Family Medicine Residency and held over a weekend in August at Chico Hot Springs in the Paradise Valley north of Yellowstone National Park.
Participate in Three Field Outings / Skills Workshops
Two annual backcountry outing are to be organized and executed by the resident ‘trackers’.
The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and Yellowstone NP are just two possible locations to spend a weekend practicing backcountry skills, patient rescue and evacuation or other related wilderness medicine topics.
Accumulate 100 credits toward the ‘Wilderness Medical Society’ Fellows program
‘Trackers’ are required to accumulate 100 total credits of training and experience composed of 60 to 80 Didactic credits from the ‘Core Curriculum’ as well as 20 to 40 Experience credits.
‘Didactic’ credits are accrued primarily through attendance at the ‘WMT Noon Conference Lecture Series’ and by attending a national WMS conference.
‘Experience’ credits are accrued through participation in the WALS course as well as planned backcountry Field Outings and Skills Workshops.
Other means for acquiring ‘Didactic’ or ‘Experience’ credit:
Complete a research project or significant practicum contributive to the development of Wilderness Medicine.
Write articles of interest to the general public within the context of wilderness medicine or backcountry published in local or regional media.