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Astmh (CTropMed®) certification course

Tropical diseases continue to cause enormous morbidity and mortality. Tropical public health challenges present significant barriers to social and economic development, and pose risks to visiting travelers. "Training in Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health" develops competencies relevant both to the practice of medicine in the tropics, expanded areas now experiencing classic tropical threats, and in a U.S. travel clinic.

This intense and comprehensive training course is designed for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who seek to improve their practice of clinical medicine and public health in austere, complex, and tropical environments, as well as for those who travel to them.

Faculty with substantial tropical medicine field experience conduct comprehensive lectures, seminars, laboratories, and case-based learning activities. Graduates of the course receive a certificate in Training in Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health. Federal employees may also receive a formal university credential and graduate credit hours.

This course is recognized by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) as fulfilling the didactic requirements to sit for the Society’s qualifying examination for the Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health (CTropMed®), as well as the Royal College of Physicians, London, examination for the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H).

COURSE CONTENT

  • Principles & Practice of Tropical Medicine
  • Medical Parasitology
  • Comprehensive Malariology
  • Travel Medicine
  • Public Health Issues of Disasters in Developing Countries
  • Tropical Medicine Rounds
  • Epidemiology and Control of Arboviruses
  • Tropical Public Health Seminar

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of this program of instruction, learners should be able to:

  • Recognize common clinical syndromes in patients living in or traveling to developing countries and develop cost-effective, sound diagnostic and treatment approaches using either local resources or, as appropriate, the United States healthcare system
  • Explain the epidemiological, immunological, and pathophysiological bases of disease processes common in the tropics
  • Describe a practical and comprehensive prevention and control program for common tropical public health problems
  • Increase competence and self-efficacy in the delivery of travel medicine services in accordance with professional standards
  • Identify and analyze emerging disease outbreaks using epidemiological principles and investigative procedures
  • Prepare specimens and identify parasites common in the tropics
  • Construct medical practice in context
    • Describe the biology of vectors of common vector transmitted diseases in the tropics
    • Characterize health systems in the tropics incorporating local health operations, foreign governments, and NGOs
    • Discuss impacts on health by local culture, religion, family structure, and alternative medical customs

COURSE STRATEGY

Mix of classroom, laboratory and tabletop exercises focusing both on disease etiology and clinical syndromes. Topics covered include prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and control of diseases; impact of nutrition on disease status; and local medical customs and healthcare system structure and function in the developing world. Multiple comprehensive written examinations and writing assignments during the course assess academic progress, as well as prepare the student for the professional society qualifying examinations such as the CTropmed Examination.

VENUE

The course is held at USU main campus from February to May annually. Course activities occur in state-of-the-art educational facilities at Naval Support Activity, Bethesda, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

ELIGIBILITY

U.S. government employees have priority. Non-government applicants are welcome and approved on a space available basis.

FEES

DoD personnel and U.S. Public Health Service officers: $0

Participants sponsored by other U.S. government agencies: $1,500

All other participants: $5,000

Fees are due no later than 4 weeks prior to course start.

Requests for refunds must be made at least 1 week prior to course start.

APPLICATION

Please submit applications between November 1st  and November 30th of the year prior to the spring semester that that training is desired. For example, applicants for Spring 2023, would apply in November 2022. Applications after November 30th will have to wait the following year to reapply. Applications should be submitted via Empower at:

https://registrar.usuhs.edu/fusebox.cfm?fuseaction=NewApplication

under 3.3 Trng in Trop Med & Traveler's Health and will require a CV, current professional license, and a copy of a transcript from your highest level of education (e.g. MD, DO, MSN-NP, PA-C, etc.). 

To confirm course availability prior to November 1st, contact Dr. Kyle Petersen at kyle.petersen@usuhs.edu along with the following information: 

Full contact information (name, email, phone, mailing address)

Curriculum vitae

Brief statement of interest

Foreign military students must apply through the Military Articles & Services List (MASL)

Course Catalog, MASL# P175038 TRNG TROPICAL MED & TRAVELERS HEALTH (USU-ASTMH)

CONTACT

Kyle Petersen, DO FACP, FIDSA
CAPT, MC, USN (Ret)

Sanford Chair in Tropical Medicine
Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics
F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine
Uniformed Services University 
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, MD 20814-4799
(301) 295-9471
kyle.petersen@usuhs.edu

 U.S. Military Tropical Medicine Course (Mtm)

Military Medical personnel continue to have roles in U.S. global health engagements while implementing force health protection and humanitarian care, this can occur when deployed with operational forces, embedded in reconstruction and advising teams, or assigned to contingency operations. U.S. Military Tropical Medicine (MTM) at Navy Medicine Leadership & Professional Development Command continues to prepare graduates to meet these demanding responsibilities. The Military Tropical Medicine course is a 4-week curriculum conducted annually in July on the USUHS Campus with the potential for a 2 week field practicum and is designed to provide education and training for DoD medical personnel in the practice of medicine in tropical regions. In 2022 a Virtual option may also be available, but all field practicum have been cancelled due to COVID. Course content targets the knowledge base required to prevent or treat diseases of the tropics to include meaningful interaction with referral preventive medicine and research laboratory resources as well as partner governmental and non-governmental organizations. Limited funding is available.

MTM Website 

For more information on MTM, please send an e-mail to CAPT Todd Gleeson

CONTACT

Todd Gleeson MD MPH
CAPT MC USN
Military Tropical Medicine Course Director

todd.d.gleeson.mil@health.mil
(301) 400-3935 office
(301) 295-6400 clinic