WMI History

About WMI | History | Staff | Students

WMI was founded by Melissa Gray and Buck Tilton in 1990. Shortly after incorporating in Pitkin, Colo., WMI ran its first Wilderness EMT course in Gunnison, Colo. From its small beginning, 83 students in three courses in 1990, to its current breadth of operating in 40 states and 20 countries, WMI has remained focused on its mission to provide the highest quality education and information for the recognition, treatment, and prevention of wilderness emergencies. We believe when students leave our courses they are empowered to act with confidence in emergency situations.

Wilderness Medicine Institute Staff at the Annual Dinner hosted at the Gold Creek Inn. 1995. Left to right: Kristen McInaney, Buck Tilton, Shana Tarter, Daniel DeKay, Michael Ambrose, Lori, "Spike" Patin, Brian Thomas, Melissa Gray, Zachary Gray Tilton, Steve Platz.

From 1990 to1997, WMI operated primarily in the western United States. WMI was extremely active in promoting wilderness medicine training, in helping elevate the quality of medical care provided by outdoor leaders, and in developing high-quality curriculum and student materials to support learning. The textbooks written by WMI staff during this era are still used today by many wilderness medicine schools. WMI participated in early national efforts to “standardize” wilderness medicine training, including the National Association of Wilderness Medicine Educators (NAWME) and the Wilderness Medical Society’s Pre-Hospital Emergency Training Standards and Accreditation Committee (PETSAC). Additionally, WMI staff co-authored the Wilderness Medical Society’s recommended topic list for a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course.

By 1997, the demand for courses prompted WMI to create an Instructor Training Course to formalize its approach to delivering the WMI curriculum. This unique, 10-day training program remains the primary vehicle for training new WMI instructors. Since 1997, 300 instructors have taken this training.

On Sept. 1, 1999, after nearly a decade of operations, WMI became a part of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Founded in 1965 by legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, NOLS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational institution, takes people of all ages on remote wilderness expeditions, teaching technical outdoor skills, leadership, and environmental ethics in some of the world’s wildest and most awe-inspiring classrooms. WMI moved its administrative headquarters from Pitkin to the newly completed NOLS International Headquarters in Lander, Wyo. in July 2002. One hundred percent of the WMI management team moved with the business.

Between 1999 and 2007, WMI began working with NOLS locations around the world to offer WMI certification programs as components of longer NOLS programs including an integrated field-based program blending a WFR course with a NOLS Outdoor Educator Course. We expanded the number of agreements and accreditations to support our students including the University of Utah, Central Wyoming College, and Western State College. Veterans are able to use their education stipends to take WMI courses in Wyoming. AmeriCorps volunteers are able to use their educational stipends to enroll in WMI courses. EMTs can earn pre-approved continuing education credits through our organizational accreditation by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Service (CECBEMS). Physicians and other medical professionals can earn continuing medical education hours through joint sponsorship with the Wilderness Medical Society and accrue credits towards their Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine.
During these years WMI intentionally expanded its course and instructor base in a manner that allowed it to manage quality and provide curriculum consistency.

The Warrior Women of WMI. 2000. Left to right: Judy Crawford, Program Director, Fiona Stringer, Program Assistant, Melissa Gray, Director, Shana Tarter, Assistant Director. Photo Credit: WMI Archives

Since 2007, WMI has extended its geographic reach through partnership with Landmark Learning in Cullowhee, N.C. WMI now offers 60 additional wilderness medicine classes in the southeastern United States through this partnership.

In 2009, WMI launched a new line of Wilderness Medicine Expedition programs that offer professional wilderness medicine training on seven- to nine-day NOLS expeditions offering students a unique opportunity to learn medicine, outdoor skills, and leadership. In addition, in 2010 WMI signed an agreement with REI, Inc. to deliver WFA courses at REI locations around the county adding 75 new courses to the calendar each year.

WMI has continued actively working to address the lack of national standards in wilderness medicine training. At the request of the Wilderness Medical Society, and in conjunction with David Johnson, MD of Wilderness Medical Associates, WMI has spearheaded a project to write both a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Scope of Practice (SOP), both of which have now been published. Finally, WMI is in the process of publishing results from the first formal retention study of Wilderness First Aid training.

During the past decade, WMI has been offered opportunities to expand into new training areas such as high angle rescue, swiftwater rescue and tactical medicine. Though the value of these trainings is high, they do not reflect WMI’s passion or strength. Instead, WMI has chosen to remain focused on the mission of providing excellent wilderness medicine training.

Wilderness Medicine Institute Staff dress up for the 1st State of the School. 1998 Back Row: Danny Northcut, Dan Walker, Jim Hutchison, Ken Thompson, Michael Ambrose, Greg Winslow, Daniel DeKay, Chris Bove. Front Row: Judy Crawford, Melissa Gray, Shana Tarter, Buck Tilton, Jen Semon, Kurt Schelgel. Photo Credit: WMI Archives

More than 20 years ago WMI launched a small business to give students relevant and practical emergency skills. With more than 110,000 graduates around the world, WMI has not strayed from that goal. The institute chooses to specialize in wilderness medicine training and continues to offer the highest quality training with the most outstanding wilderness medicine educators available. WMI continues to distinguish itself by focusing on teaching students to make challenging medical decisions in remote places and by embedding practical leadership messages at all levels of certification. WMI remains an outstanding place to work full of highly talented and committed educators.