If you’re considering joining us for our Outdoor Medicine Collective in Healdsburg, California, you may be wondering what the week actually looks like. Often we get asked how the CME works, whether the IWLS certification is included, and how this conference is different from a traditional medical conference.

This FAQ blog on our Outdoor Medicine Collective Healdsburg is designed to help you get a clearer sense of the experience before you register.

The Outdoor Medicine Collective will take place October 21st to 25th, 2026 in Healdsburg, California, in the heart of Sonoma County Wine Country.

What is the Outdoor Medicine Collective?

The Outdoor Medicine Collective is a medical education conference designed for healthcare professionals who want practical, relevant training in wilderness, travel, and global health medicine.

The week includes lectures, hands-on workshops, optional certification opportunities, and time to enjoy Healdsburg and the surrounding Wine Country.

The goal is to offer high-quality medical education in a setting that supports learning, connection, and time outside.

What makes this different from a traditional medical conference?

This is not designed to feel like a long week inside a hotel ballroom. You’ll still have structured CME sessions, but the schedule also includes hands-on learning, optional workshops, and time to enjoy Wine Country.

Mornings are focused on education. Afternoons may include workshops, outdoor activities, or time to step away and explore Healdsburg. It’s a professional medical education event, but with a different pace.

How many CME credits can I earn?

Participants can earn up to 20 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits through the main Outdoor Medicine Collective conference.

Those who add the International Wilderness Life Support (IWLS) certification may earn up to 28 additional CME credits, for a possible total of 48 CME credits.

What is the IWLS certification add-on?

The International Wilderness Life Support (IWLS) certification is an optional add-on for participants who want a deeper wilderness medicine training experience.

It is designed for clinicians who want to feel more prepared in remote, austere, or resource-limited settings.

The course includes online learning before the in-person portion, followed by hands-on training and practical scenarios. Topics may include patient assessment, splinting, wound care, evacuation decision-making, and care in outdoor environments.

This is a good fit for anyone who wants more than lectures and is looking for a structured certification they can use in travel, outdoor recreation, expedition work, or global health settings.

Do I need wilderness medicine experience?

Nope! You do not need to be a wilderness medicine expert to attend. Some participants may already have outdoor medicine experience, while others may be newer to the field.

The conference is designed for healthcare professionals who want to build or strengthen their skills in wilderness, travel, and global health medicine.

Who is this conference for?

This conference may be a good fit for:

• Physicians
• Nurse practitioners
• Physician assistants
• Nurses
• EMS professionals
• Clinicians interested in wilderness, travel, or global health medicine
• Healthcare professionals who enjoy outdoor-focused learning environments

It is especially relevant for providers who want CME that feels practical, current, and connected to real-world scenarios.

Is there hands-on learning?

Yes! In addition to lectures, there are optional hands-on workshops focused on skills like splinting, wilderness orthopedics, wound care, and suturing.

Plus, participants who add IWLS will have even more scenario-based, hands-on training.

What topics are covered?

Topics include:

• Wilderness wound care
• Patient assessment in wilderness settings
• Hypothermia and hyperthermia
• Orthopedic injuries
• Wilderness medical kits
• Animal attacks, bites, and stings
• Safe water practices
• Global health and humanitarian medicine
• Nutrition and hydration in wilderness settings
• Mountain medicine and altitude illness
• Travel medicine and immunizations
• Field evacuation
• Whitewater medicine and submersion injury

The curriculum is designed to be practical and relevant for clinicians who travel, work, or recreate in outdoor and resource-limited settings.

Why Healdsburg?

Healdsburg gives the conference a very different feel from a standard medical education setting.

Instead of spending the week fully removed from the place you’re visiting, you’ll be in Sonoma County during harvest season, with access to vineyards, restaurants, trails, bike routes, and a walkable town plaza.

As a result, the setting makes it easier to step out of your usual routine for a few days while still earning meaningful CME.

Have more questions?

If you’re considering the Outdoor Medicine Collective and want to talk through whether it’s a good fit, we’re happy to help. You can reach us at: ‪(541) 205-9980. 

Join us in Healdsburg for the Outdoor Medicine Collective on October 21st to 25th, 2026.