LSTM’s Travel and Expedition Medicine short course continues to go from strength to strength despite the general downturn in overseas travel. The one-week training course for health care professionals who advise travellers and those wishing to work overseas as expedition medics currently running at LSTM, has seen an increase in applications from 2010.
Despite the number of holiday and business travellers falling 6% in the 12 month period up to December 2010, according to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics, demand for this training is still strong.
One trend that is contributing to an increased interest in this training is the changing School trip. In the past France was the main destination for education groups, now School groups can be found helping humanitarian and development projects across Africa.
According to Phil Tubb, Managing Director of Well Travelled Clinics “This short course continues to go from strength to strength because of the high calibre of the speakers who are able to offer unique insights from their own experience gained in the field and the mix of both travel health and expedition medicine on offer. This year we are particularly pleased to have attracted a good mixture of doctors, nurses and paramedics and that we have also drawn a number of international students to the course.”
The course provides participants with the necessary knowledge to advise travellers about preventing and detecting diseases and infection, the necessary vaccinations required for specific countries and regions. How to identify and treat cold injuries and hypothermia, the use of rapid diagnostic test kits for malaria diagnosis, alongside dealing with diarrhoea, dentistry and jet lag.
Experts from the British Antarctic Survey and the Centre for Altitude, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine prepare those involved in expeditions for the harsh realities they will face, in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
On the anniversary of intrepid explorer Ernest Shackleton’s birthday, these are valuable lessons to learn.