WMS

What WMS does

WMS (Wilderness Medical Society) is a 501(c)-style nonprofit professional medical society founded in 1983 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, serving approximately 4,000 medical professionals worldwide who practice or have an interest in wilderness, expedition, and austere-environment medicine. The organization operates as a credentialing and continuing-education body, offering three flagship certifications — the Fellowship of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM), the Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM), and the Diploma in Diving and Marine Medicine (DiDMM) — and publishing the peer-reviewed quarterly Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (WEM) journal through Sage Publishing on ScienceDirect. Supporting products include recorded conference lectures, webinars, the Wilderness Medicine Podcast, clinical practice guidelines, research grants of $5,000–$10,000, and adventure education trips (backpacking, MedSail, Costa Rica, Everest Base Camp) that combine experiential learning with CME credit.

Revenue is generated primarily through individual membership subscriptions priced at $125 (Basic), $180 (Standard), and $230 (Premium) annually, with a $3,500 Life Membership option, discounted tiers for students (60% off), residents (30% off), and low/middle-income country members (50% off). Ancillary revenue streams include conference registrations (with $50–$150 non-member premiums), FAWM candidacy fees ($300), teaching resource sales ($50/lecture), adventure education trip tuition ($2,210–$2,575), and pass-through benefits such as the $50,000 medical professional liability policy available to Premium members. Distribution is multi-channel: direct self-service enrollment via wms.org, academic co-delivery partnerships with the University of Utah and University of Colorado for DiMM, NOLS reciprocity for FAWM credits, and resort/yacht partnerships (BVI Yacht Charters, Anthony Key Resort) for adventure programming. The organization is accredited by ACCME to award AMA PRA Category 1 Credits and is led by CEO Renita Fonseca, CAE, CMP with a small staff of 1–10.

Name

WMS

Legal name

Wilderness Medical Society

Website

https://wms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WMS is a 40-year-old nonprofit professional medical society serving 4,000+ global healthcare professionals with wilderness medicine certifications (FAWM, DiMM, DiDMM), a peer-reviewed journal, conferences, and adventure-based CME education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wilderness Medicine Education & Certification

akta.pro primary industry

Compliance, Certification & Continuing Education LMS (EDAFAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

LMS Integrations, Interoperability & Identity (LTI/SCORM/xAPI, SSO, APIs) (EDAFAAAI)

Keywords

• Wilderness medicine education
• Continuing medical education
• Medical society
• Mountain medicine certification
• Expedition medicine

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees at three tiers: Basic ($125/year), Standard ($180/year), Premium ($230/year), and Life Membership ($3,500). Additional revenue from student discounts (60% off) and resident/fellow discounts (30% off).
2. Conference Registrations: Revenue from Summer and Winter conferences, specialty pre/post-conference courses, with non-member rates $50-$150 higher than member rates
3. Adventure Education Trips: Fee-based adventure CME trips including Backpacking Medicine ($2,210-$2,575), MedSail, Costa Rica expeditions, and other adventure education programs
4. FAWM Certification: FAWM candidacy application fee of $300 plus retroactive fee of $25 for credit review
5. Teaching Resources and Lectures: Sale of PowerPoint presentations for healthcare professionals ($50 each), recorded conference lectures with discounts for Standard/Premium members
6. Medical Liability Insurance: Free $50K liability policy for Premium members, with additional coverage available through insurance broker Tom James

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WMS is a nonprofit professional medical society that provides wilderness medicine education, certifications, conferences, and publications for individual medical professionals. Its core offerings include the FAWM, DiMM, and DiDMM certification programs, the peer-reviewed Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (WEM) journal, the Wilderness Medicine Podcast, and in-person/online conferences, all organized around a tiered annual membership (Basic, Standard, Premium, Life).

Product overview

The Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) is a membership-based professional organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of wilderness medicine education, certification, and publications. The core offerings include the peer-reviewed Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (WEM) journal and three major certification programs: FAWM (Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine), DiMM (Diploma in Mountain Medicine), and DiDMM (Diploma in Diving and Marine Medicine). Supporting these are educational products including recorded lectures, webinars, the Wilderness Medicine Podcast, and clinical practice guidelines. The organization also offers experiential learning through Adventure Education trips, research grants, and member benefits including medical liability insurance and Global Rescue services. The product ecosystem is organized around membership tiers (Basic, Standard, Premium) with varying levels of access to certifications, publications, and member benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FAWM (Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine): Fellowship program validating training and experience in wilderness medicine
• DiMM (Diploma in Mountain Medicine)
• DiDMM (Diploma in Diving and Marine Medicine)
• FAWM (Fellowship in Wilderness Medicine)
• Adventure Ed (Adventure Education)

Products and services

• Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (WEM) Journal The official peer-reviewed quarterly journal of WMS, devoted to original scientific and technical contributions on medical practice in remote, isolated, austere, or environmentally challenging environments. Indexed in PubMed and ScienceDirect.
• Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM)

Quantifiable outcome

• Premium members receive $50,000 in medical professional liability coverage at no additional cost
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMS partnered with University of Utah to bring the Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) program to the USA. The WMS/University of Utah program meets requirements of and is fully approved by UIAA, ICAR, and ISMM. University of Utah faculty serve as definitive mountain medicine authorities.
• University of ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMS partnered with University of Colorado for the DiMM program. The Pura Vida Costa Rica Adventure Ed trip is offered in partnership with University of Colorado, which provides faculty expertise for wilderness medicine education.
• Black DiamondminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand offering pro deal discounts to WMS members. Outdoor gear and equipment brand serving climbers, skiers, and outdoor enthusiasts.
• MammutminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand offering pro deal discounts to WMS members. Swiss outdoor equipment and apparel brand.
• La SportivaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand offering pro deal discounts to WMS members. Italian climbing and mountaineering footwear and apparel brand.
• Icebreaker MerinominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand offering pro deal discounts to WMS members. New Zealand merino wool outdoor apparel brand.
• Gaia GPSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand offering pro deal discounts to WMS members. Navigation and mapping app for outdoor adventurers.
• LibertyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand offering pro deal discounts to WMS members. Outdoor and tactical equipment brand.
• NOLScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilderness First Responder/Wilderness EMT courses offered through NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) qualify for FAWM credits. WMS has approved hundreds of NOLS course dates and locations for continuing education.
• Global RescueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium WMS members receive access to Global Rescue intelligence services, medical assistance, and advisory services. Evacuation services/trip insurance available for separate purchase.
• BVI Yacht CharterscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with BVI Yacht Charters for MedSail adventure education program in the British Virgin Islands. Contact: Abbie Turner, 888-615-4006.
• Anthony Key ResortminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHost venue for WMS Diving Medicine Session at Roatan, Honduras. Resort provides accommodations and diving facilities for the week-long DiDMM program.
• EMS MD InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance broker Tom James (866-577-7833) procures the $50K Medical Professional Liability policy benefit for Premium WMS members. Additional higher-coverage policies available for medical directors.
• Sage PublishingcoreTechnology or IntegrationWMS's journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine is published by Sage. Provides peer review resources, online manuscript submission, and hosting platform through ScienceDirect.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wilderness Medical Associates International: Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) is the most direct competitor, providing Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness EMT, and Wilderness First Aid training courses for medical and outdoor professionals — directly overlapping with WMS's FAWM-credited curriculum and wilderness medicine education mission.
• International Society for Mountain Medicine: ISMM is one of the three international bodies (along with UIAA and ICAR) that approves WMS's DiMM program, but also operates as a parallel professional society promoting mountain medicine research and education globally — competing for the same physician community and conference attendance.
• Divers Alert Network: DAN is the leading organization in diving medicine research, education, and emergency assistance, and directly overlaps with WMS's DiDMM (Diploma in Diving and Marine Medicine) program — both serve the diving medical professional market with certifications, research, and advisory services.
• National Outdoor Leadership School: NOLS is both a strategic partner (Wilderness First Responder/Wilderness EMT courses qualify for FAWM credits) and a direct competitor, delivering wilderness medicine training to outdoor professionals and enthusiasts — sharing the same curriculum pathway and learner base.
• Mountain Rescue Association: MRA is a US-based volunteer search and rescue organization serving the mountain medicine and alpine rescue community — sharing WMS's member segments (Ski Patrol, Search and Rescue teams, Expedition Medical Directors) and offering overlapping training and credentialing for mountain rescue personnel.

Broad incumbents

• International Society of Travel Medicine: ISTM is a larger professional medical society serving clinicians involved in travel and tropical medicine — overlapping with WMS's mission of preparing physicians for austere and remote environments, but with a broader infectious disease and travel clinic focus.
• American College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP is the largest US professional society for emergency physicians — a core target segment for WMS — and offers broad emergency medicine CME, certification, and advocacy, with wilderness medicine as one of many subspecialty interests rather than a dedicated focus.
• National Ski Patrol: National Ski Patrol administers Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) certification for its 30,000+ patrollers, overlapping directly with WMS's Ski Patrol customer segment and mountain medicine training, but serving a broader patrol volunteer base rather than physicians.
• Society for Academic Emergency Medicine: SAEM is a major academic emergency medicine society that overlaps with WMS's emergency physician member base and offers CME, research grants, and fellowships — competing for academic wilderness medicine content and conference attendance.

Emerging players

• Solvera Health: Solvera Health (formerly NOLS Wilderness Medicine's training arm spin-off context) is a related wilderness medicine training provider focused on remote and austere medical education for clinicians, operating in a directly adjacent curriculum and credentialing space to WMS's FAWM program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubesoundcloud.com/wildernessmedicinepodcast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilderness-medical-society
• Xx.com/wildmedsociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/WildMedSociety

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WMS