ExpedMed 2012 Brochure Available Now

Our 2012 ExpedMed brochure is now available.

If you're interested in learning more about the exciting CME activities offered by ExpedMed in the coming months, clink Here to download a pdf version of the brochure.

ExpedMed is a leading Expedition Medicine and Wilderness Medicine CME company.  In addition to the annual ExpedMed washington, DC conference, ExpedMed leads CME adventure trips to some of the most unique and remote places on earth.  

Private Island CME Adventure with ExpedMed

Just wanted to check in with you guys and let you know about a new CME trip we've developed over at ExpedMed for February 28 - March 3, 2013 .

The trip is on Little Saint Simons Island, a private island that allows no more than 32 overnight guests, has seven miles of pristine beach, is overrun with birds, gators, dolphins, crabs, fish, deer, and other amazing wildlife, and has won numerous travel awards for its incredible food, history, service, and sustainable eco-friendly policies.

Little Saint Simons Island is an incredible place.  It's been in private hands for over 100 years and was converted from a hunting lodge into an eco-resort.  I toured it recently just to make sure it's what we would need for an event, and it was awesome.  

While on the island, I saw a bald eagle adult sitting on its nest with a chick peeking out over the nest edge, two adult gators (and two young gators), lots of birds, and wandered along a beach with no one but my friends as far as I could see in any direction.

The food was incredible and the cottages were really cool-- many were originals that had been updated with AC and electricity (but no tv, thankfully!).

Although we’ve reserved the entire island, I only have 11 rooms available. The cost per room is $1,950 which includes three nights on the island, all food, and all activities for two people.  

Activities include fishing (with all gear and bait), kayaking, guided tours of the island with naturalists, biking, exploring with motorized skiffs, beach wandering, bird and other wildlife watching, and hiking.

Rooms are double occupancy so if two people are in the room it's $325 per night each for three nights.

We are offering our 20 hour online course for CME plus 8 hours of live CME training.  CME fees are $799 (for a total of 28 hours of Category I CME).  

Please let me know ASAP if you are interested.  I’ve already sold three rooms and only have 8 more left.  

This is an incredible opportunity to visit one of my favorite places on earth.  By the way, kids are welcome and will love it-- when I toured the island I took my five year old and another dad with his 5 year old son.  Both of the kids went crazy-- it was an awesome experience for all.

If this sounds like your type of adventure, contact us at ExpedMed to reserve your place.

A Physicians Primer To International Travel

If you plan to travel overseas or even across the borders into Mexico or Canada, your plans need to include foresight and caution if you want to enjoy a hassle-free and healthy trip.

Knowledge about public health issues such as advisories, vaccines, environmental hazards and natural disasters and weather can eliminate surprises in your travel and help you be prepared in case you need to travel despite warnings. This primer can help you pinpoint your responsibilities and can make your travel plans easier by providing topics to heed and links to more expansive information about international travel.

To simplify your efforts, you might ask yourself the following questions and seek answers for your specific travel plans:

1. Do you need a passport and visa? If you’re traveling across U.S. borders, this information is helpful in your identification and can ease travel snags. You may need to plan for these documents up to six months before you travel.
2. Do you need immunizations or vaccines? Learn this information, ideally, about two months before your trip.
3. Do you have any health issues that you need to address before travel? Learn more about what you may need for your current health issues and about other problems that you may encounter during your trip. This site also contains information about travel kits you might pack to address specific problems.

Other issues include whether or not you need travel insurance and if your destination is under any travel advisories or warnings. These advisories can occur at the last minute, even on the day you plan to leave…so plan ahead.

About Travel Advisories

Advisories are public notices issued by government agencies to provide information about the relative safety of traveling to and from foreign shores. Advisories can range from epidemics to natural disasters and from environmental issues to political upheavals. If your travel is necessary, be sure to check with officials locally and learn about the consulate available at your destination so you are prepared with a plan of action.

Note that advisories issued from the United States Department of State are called warden messages. U.S. embassies or consulates within foreign countries may issues advisories, which then are relayed to the U.S. Department of State and broadcast to U.S. citizens. The U.S. Department of State provides a list of U.S. embassies, consulates and diplomatic mission Web sites that you can peruse well before you plan your trip.

Traveling With Others

Finally, traveling with the elderly or with children poses special problems. Learn more about how you can make the trip enjoyable for yourself and for your companions. Everyone who travels with you must follow the same immunization plans, obtain passports and heed the same advisories. But, other issues may occur that you cannot possibly fathom. Web sites devoted to these issues, such as International Travel, Passports, Visas and Children & Family Issues can help you iron out those problems in advance.

Finally, the following list of ten excellent international travel sites can help you determine what you need to do when you make your plans.

Governmental Travel Health Links

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travelers’ Health: The CDC is interested in saving lives, protecting people and saving money through prevention. They offer topics that range from information about destinations to vaccinations, diseases a way to find a clinic and resources and training.
2. Foreign & Commonwealth Office Travel & living abroad: The country advice offered by this UK site is full of useful information for countries throughout the world. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office offers support to UK travelers in emergencies, and a range of services for businesses including document legislation.
3. Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Traveling and Living Abroad: This guide out of the Canadian government offers travel reports and warnings, information about consular services and more positive outlooks such as how to handle children and travel and a safe travel planner.
4. Government of Western Australia Department of Health’s Healthy International Travel: This link leads to information from another perspective half a world away. Look at how this governmental health agency approaches international travel risks.
5. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration: The Transportation Security Administration protects the Nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. Although the TSA has come under fire recently for various harsh measures on travelers, they provide information on this site to help make your encounters with TSA more tolerable.
6. U.S. Department of State Travel: A quick and easy guide to worldwide caution, including travel warnings and alerts, is provided in the left column on this intensive overseas travel site. Other helpful information includes tips for traveling abroad, advice for older travelers, and information about child abduction to child adoption.
7. U.S. Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security: OSAC provides daily news, reports, events and incidents that can effect travelers and expatriates. They include a resource library and searches by countries and cities.

Other Helpful Travel Links

1. International SOS [PDF]: This document contains information about a 24-hour worldwide assistance and emergency evacuation service for travelers and expatriates. Only members enrolled through a corporate membership or standard group members and paid for by the subscriber are eligible for services.
2. Johns Hopkins Travel Center: This site is maintained by Supply Chain Shared Services and has been developed to provide faculty and staff with up-to-date information regarding University travel policies, services, and information. Look for travel warnings, useful sites and information about various agencies.
3. Nations Online: Nations Online Project collects travel warnings around the world to help travelers and citizens to take their own decisions about their travel plans.
4. UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Office of Global Health Travel Requirements for UNC Public Health Students: Although intended for public health students, this page carries some great tips and information for anyone who travels. Scroll down the page to find a list of necessary items to take when traveling.
5. World Health Organization’s Travel and Health: WHO carries general information about how to travel safely and provides specific information on infectious diseases and current updates on international health regulations. They also approach various issues such as food safety in attempts to educate the traveling public.

About: Jennifers blog is at http://mphdegree.org/blog/

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The Art of Flight...Amazing

You've got to check this out...

Below is the trailer for the new snowboard documentary produced by Red Bull, The Art of Flight.  If the movie is anywhere near as good as the trailer, I'll be reduced to a pile of twitching, hyper-kinetic nerve endings by the end of it.  I had such an adrenalin rush after watching the trailer the first time that I had to fight the impulse to fling myself off the roof of my house-- it's just that good... 

The great thing is that the movie has finally been released and is available for download on iTunes.  I've already ordered it, so I'll let you know what I think once I watch it.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on the video below and try to fight the urge to quit your job and become a professional BASE jumper.

I know it's difficult...

Speaking of Polar Bears...

Last week at our Expedition Medicine National Conference in Washington, DC, a member of the audience came up to me after one of my talks.  Turns out this guy has a lot of experience working in remote places, and he told me a story about a colleague who was working in northern Canada and was surprised by a polar bear one morning.  Someone snapped a couple of photos of the incident, and this guy said he'd be happy to send them to me.

Needless to say, I was impressed by the photos...

In case you're wondering, the bear didn't actually catch the guy in the photos, but he sure raised his heart rate a bit.

If looking at these photos causes you to long for the frozen tundra and the bears of that region, take heart!  Our ExpedMed Polar Bear CME Adventure still has a couple of spots left.  You have the opportunity to visit the famed bears of Churchill, Canada and earn CME along the way.  The dates are October 16-20, 2011.  Below is a video created by our partners at Frontiers North Adventures...come along with us to visit the polar bears next month (if you dare).

Freelance MD: Upcoming Events

If you missed our recent Expedition Medicine National Conference, you missed a great event.

The above photo is of Dr. Tim Erickson, Vice Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Illinois-Chicago.  Dr. Erickson is renowned as a speaker and he didn't disappoint.  This photo was taken just after his famous "mushroom" lecture at our ExpedMed event.  Tim obviously enjoys his work!

Below is a short video and a schedule of upcoming events for both ExpedMed and Medical Fusion.  

The Medical Fusion Conference is just around the corner so please register early to ensure your place at this entertaining and educational event.  Thanks once again for reading Freelance MD and we hope to see you at one of our events very soon!

Upcoming ExpedMed and Medical Fusion Events

ExpedMed Polar Bear CME Adventure

October 16-20, 2011, Churchill, Canada
www.FrontiersNorth.com
Cost:  $3,969 plus $899 CME

Medical Fusion Conference

November 11-13, 2011, Las Vegas
www.MedFusionConf.org
Cost:  $979

ExpedMed Kilimanjaro CME Adventure

March 24 – April 6, 2012, Kilimanjaro
www.Tusker.com
Cost:  $5,630 plus $899 CME

ExpedMed Great White Shark Diving CME Adventure

August 27-31, 2012 - Guadalupe Island
www.SharkDiver.com
Cost:  $3,100 plus $899 CME

Expedition Medicine National Conference

September 2012 - Washington, DC
www.ExpedMed.org

Great White Shark CME Adventure

ExpedMed Great White Shark Adventure

A Great White Shark Adventure for CME Credit

August 27 - 31, 2012

"Join ExpedMed on an amazing Great White Shark cage diving CME adventure.

August 27-31, 2012 ExpedMed will be teaming up with Shark Diver to offer a tremendous CME adventure. Participants will board a beautiful yacht in San Diego and travel to Guadalupe Island for a 5 day trip viewing magnificent Great White Sharks in the clear waters off Guadalupe.

Guadalupe Island has the best Great White Shark diving anywhere in the world with 100+ foot visibility and experienced dive leaders with the Shark Diver group. Participants in this CME adventure will receive between 3-5 hours of Category I CME through live lectures and then another 20 hours of online training.

There is limited space on the private yacht used for this adventure, so please contact us soon to reserve your spot.