Travel has become increasingly varied. More people are visiting remote parts of the world, travelling with complex conditions, or embarking on international trips at an older age. This means pre-travel health services need to include a broader range of specialist guidance on potential risks and how to stay healthy.
This course gives an up-to-date overview of travel medicine, enabling health professionals to provide the best possible advice to people before they set off on international travel.
Designed for doctors, nurses and pharmacists who provide travel medicine advice or those who want to develop their skills in travel medicine, it features highly interactive sessions, including role play scenarios with actors to bring to life challenges they might encounter in a clinic.
What you will learn
In addition to covering the global risk of infectious diseases like malaria and dengue, vaccinations, bites and stings, altitude and diving medication, the LSHTM Travel Medicine course covers more complex topics such as the immunosuppressed traveller, those traveling with haematological conditions, the effects of climate change and migration, and much more.
Taking place over 5 days in London, you will gain the latest knowledge, conceptual frameworks and tools necessary to run a modern, evidence-based travel medicine service.
You will also have the opportunity to discuss and share experiences with a globally diverse group of fellow students and world-leading teaching staff. TV doctor and LSHTM alumnus Chris Van Tulleken takes a leading teaching role on the course, alongside experts from LSHTM, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the National Travel Health Network & Centre (NaTHNaC), and invited guest speakers who are eminent in the fields of travel medicine, infectious diseases, epidemiology and immunology.
Since the course began in 2002, more than 1,000 students have attended from many countries around the globe.
Who should apply?
The course is open to registered medical practitioners, registered nurses and other healthcare professionals with an interest in travel medicine. It is aimed at those who wish to use and develop their critical thinking skills within a health context to discern best practices and develop their judgement skills in a variety of social and cultural environments.
Accreditation
When you complete the course, you will be awarded 30 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits from the Royal College of Physicians.
Methods of assessment
There is no formal examination or assessment, but you will receive a Certificate of Attendance for completing the course.
Teaching methods
Teaching will be through a variety of lectures, discussions, role-play, problem-solving workshops and the use of technology to access current health information. You will be expected to take part in a small group project, which may require some additional work outside the usual lecturing hours of 9 am-5:30 pm, and there will also be opportunities for ‘ask the experts’ Q&A sessions and a networking evening.
Additional information
Aims & Objectives
The main objectives are to make practitioners aware of:
- The role of practitioners in protecting the health of the traveller
- Major risks associated with travel and the skills involved in communicating these risks
- Appropriate methods for reducing and managing travel associated illness and hazards
- Communication skills to enhance their abilities as health educators
- The role of information technology in travel medicine
The course will cover a range of topics pertinent to the everyday practice of travel medicine, including:
- Principles of travel medicine
- Accessing travel health information
- Consultation and communication skills
- The epidemiology of travel
- Fitness to travel and repatriation
- Medico-legal issues
- Preparing the long term traveller
- Vaccines in practice
- Vector-borne disease; malaria, dengue, Zika virus, Yellow Fever
- Rabies and other infections from animal bites
- Haematological problems and travel
- Vulnerable travellers; children, pregnant/breast feeding, immunosuppressed, multiple co-morbidities
- Travel-related dermatology
- Sexual health and travel
- Food & waterborne disease
- Mass gatherings, Migrant health and VFR
- Bites, stings, envenomation and marine poisoning
- Altitude and diving medicine
- Fever in the returning traveller
Take a look at some of the feedback for the course from previous cohorts.
“A really excellent course. I thoroughly enjoyed it, learned a lot and feel inspired. Thank you!"
"The best course I have attended in many years. The expert speakers were amazing. It has been inspiring and has left me feeling like I want to learn more."
"For me, it was an absolute privilege to attend this course, and was pitched at exactly the right level. Thanks to all involved."
"It was an amazing course. Thank you all for making it such a worthwhile experience. I'll be highly recommending the course to colleagues who are interested in the field of travel medicine."
£1,500 full fee
£1,350 for nurses
£900 for LMICs
When applying for discounted fees, please include proof of job or student status, or LMIC status instead of your CV. LMIC status can be confirmed with a passport and proof of current residence.
Funding
IAMAT Stella & George Bryant Travel Medicine Scholarship
One scholarship for a doctor from a country in South or Central America has been made available by IAMAT, with a preference to those applying from Bolivia, Columbia or Ecuador or in Central America (but not exclusively). As a pre-requisite, applicants will have completed the SLAMVI online course: SLAMVI (see “Education” tab). Preference will be given to practitioners with knowledge in travel medicine and the capacity to expand the practice of travel medicine in their country. The scholarship includes the Travel Medicine course at the LSHTM and clinical observation at NaTHNaC and/or the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
Please visit the IAMAT website for application details.
Applying for this course
Applications are now closed. You can register your interest and we will let you know when applications reopen.
Please read LSHTM's Admissions policies prior to submitting your application.
Visas
The student is responsible for obtaining any visa or other permissions to attend the course, and is encouraged to start the application process as early as possible as obtaining a visa for the UK can sometimes take a long time. The Short Courses team can provide supporting documentation if requested.
Accommodation
A list of hotels located in the vicinity of LSHTM, along with further resources for short-term accommodation, can be found on our accommodation pages.
Important information
Please note:
- Students will be required to bring their own laptops. The Stata package will be available for the duration of the course.
- If you have been offered a place on the course you will not be able to register without bringing a formal ID (Passport) and without having obtained the correct visa if required.
- It is essential that you read the current visa requirements for short course students.
- LSHTM may cancel courses two weeks before the first day of the course if numbers prove insufficient. In those circumstances, course fees will be refunded.
- LSHTM cannot accept responsibility for accommodation, travel and other losses incurred as a result of the course being cancelled.