Upgrade your Certification to the Next Level
SOLO’s bridge courses are designed to help students upgrade their current certification to the next-level certification. Available bridge courses include:
- Wilderness First Aid (WFA) to Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA)
- Wilderness First Aid (WFA) to Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
- Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA) to Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
Recommended For: Students who have taken a WFA or AWFA within a year and are looking to upgrade their certification. Also for students who are looking to recertify their WFR certification.
Prerequisites: Current SOLO WFA, AWFA, or WFR certification
Course length and price varies per bridge course. Please call for more information.
Lodging: We have an onsite lodging option
Wilderness First Aid (WFA) to Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA)
Take your wilderness medicine training to the next level with our 2-day Wilderness First Aid (WFA) to Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA) Upgrade Course. Designed for individuals who have taken a WFA within a year and are looking to upgrade their certification. This hands-on course expands your skills and confidence for managing medical emergencies in remote and outdoor environments.
Throughout the course, participants will build on foundational wilderness medicine concepts through realistic scenarios, patient assessments, and practical skill sessions. Topics may include long-term patient care, advanced splinting and wound management, environmental emergencies, leadership and decision-making, evacuation considerations, and more. Instruction takes place both indoors and outdoors to provide realistic, experience-based learning opportunities
Upon successful completion of written exam and showing skills competency, participants will earn an Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA) certification.
Please Note: This course may be used to recertify a current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification.
Tuition
$250 tuition fee
Course Length
16-24 hours
Certificate
Yes, AWFA certificate valid for 2 years
Ready to Enroll for WFA To AWFA Bridge Course?
Select a date to sign-up and pay your tuition.
Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA) to Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
Take the next step in your wilderness medicine training with our Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA) to Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Bridge Course. This course is designed for individuals who have completed their AWFA certification within a year and are looking to complete their Wilderness First Responder training.
Participants will build on their existing wilderness medicine knowledge through hands-on skill practice, patient assessments, leadership exercises, and realistic outdoor scenarios. The course focuses on advanced decision-making, long-term patient care, environmental emergencies, traumatic injuries, evacuation planning, and team-based response in remote settings.
Instruction takes place in both classroom and outdoor environments, providing an immersive and experience-based learning atmosphere. A highlight of the course is the culminating night scenario, where participants apply their skills in realistic low-light conditions that challenge communication, assessment, treatment, and leadership abilities in a dynamic wilderness setting.
Upon successful completion of written exam, practical skills exam and showing skills competency, participants will earn a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification.
Please Note: This course may be used to recertify a current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification.
Tuition
$350 tuition fee
Course Length
~36 hours
Certificate
Yes, WFR certificate valid for 3 years
Ready to Enroll for AWFA To WFR Bridge Course?
Select a date to sign-up and pay your tuition.
Wilderness First Aid (WFA) to Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
Advance your wilderness medicine training with our Wilderness First Aid (WFA) to Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Bridge Course. This intensive course is designed for individuals who have taken a WFA within a year and are looking to and are ready to expand their skills to the Wilderness First Responder level.
Through hands-on practice, realistic scenarios, and immersive outdoor instruction, participants will develop the advanced patient assessment, critical thinking, and leadership skills needed to respond to emergencies in remote environments. The course builds on WFA foundations while covering more in-depth topics such as long-term patient care, traumatic injuries, environmental emergencies, evacuation and rescue considerations, and complex medical scenarios.
Instruction takes place in both classroom and outdoor settings to create an engaging, experience-based learning environment that prepares participants for real-world situations. There will be a night scenario at the conclusion of the course.
Upon successful completion of written exam, practical skills exam and showing skills competency, participants will earn a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification.
Please Note: This course may be used to recertify a current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification.
Tuition
$600 tuition fee
Course Length
~52 hours
Certificate
Yes, WFR certificate valid for 3 years
Ready to Enroll for WFA To WFR Bridge Course?
Select a date to sign-up and pay your tuition.
Preparing for your Bridge Course
Our bridge courses are designed to build directly on the knowledge and skills learned in your previous wilderness medicine certification course. Because of this, the course begins with new material right away and does not include a full review of foundational concepts from your WFA or AWFA course.
To help set yourself up for success, we strongly encourage all participants to spend time reviewing key wilderness medicine topics before the course begins. Additionally, it is important to practice the patient assessment system prior to arriving to class. You can practice on a partner, friend, child or even a stuffed animal. This will help you transition in smoothly to class.
Coming prepared and confident with your foundational skills will allow you to get the most out of the course, fully participate in scenarios, and focus on advancing your wilderness medicine training.
Below you will find recommended review videos, study materials, and an online quiz to help refresh your knowledge and identify areas where you may want additional practice.
Videos to review:
- Patient Assessment System (PAS) review
- Focused Spine Assessment (FSA) review
- Splinting Videos (feel free to check out their other splinting videos)
You can use the provided WFR Practice Quiz (linked below) to review and help prepare for the course. This is an excellent resource for refreshing key WFR concepts. There are over 300 questions on this quiz so do not feel obligated to do all of them. This is just a resource for you to see what you know and what you want a refresher on.
Supplies List
You should plan to have clothing that will be appropriate to the season for where and when you will be taking the class. Weather permitting, we will be spending a significant portion of the class time outside. The following list is to supplement the clothing you will be wearing. You are free to supplement it with anything else you would normally carry. You will be using your equipment to provide care, build splints, and to keep yourself and OTHERS warm. If you have questions regarding the usual weather where your course will be held, please contact the sponsor.
We will be providing some clothing for splinting materials, sleeping pads, and training med kits.
Please note, we use moulage throughout the training that can stain some clothing, therefore, you may want to bring older or darker clothing to wear for scenarios.
Required Items
The following items should be packed for each class:
- Backpack to put everything in
- Extra clothing (for layering and to use in splints)
- Items that you would normally take on a day hike or overnight hike
- Raingear tops and Bottoms
- 2 Warm Hats (synthetic* or wool)
- 1 Pair Warm Gloves or Mittens (synthetic* or wool)
- 2 Pair Warm socks (synthetic* or wool) or wool)
- Warm Top and Bottom Layer (synthetic* or wool)
- 2 Pair Warm socks (synthetic* or wool)
- 2 Water Bottles (1 liter/quart or larger)
- Hiking boots or Sturdy Hiking Shoes (no Five Fingers shoes please)
- Notebook with Pen/Pencil
- Watch with Second Hand (or digital with seconds)
Helpful Things to Bring
- Headlamp or Flashlight (don’t forget extra batteries and bulbs)
- Pocket Knife
- Insect Repellent (in season)
- Sunglasses and Sunscreen
- 40 feet Small Diameter Cord (parachute cord is fine)
- Sleeping Pad (Ensolite, Thermarest, Ridgerest, etc.)
- 10’ X 10’ 4-6 mil Plastic Tarp (for shelter building)
- Bandanas/Cravats of any kind
*Polyester or Polypropylene (Capilene, Bergelene, Dri-Clime, etc.) We do not recommend cotton which loses its ability to hold heat if wet.
What to Expect After Enrollment
After enrolling in an Outdoor Leadership Training Center course and paying the tuition, you can expect a e-receipt to be sent to you immediately.
All courses will be held on Kalamazoo College’s campus. You will receive an email closer to the course date with details such as your class’s location, parking, etc.