The International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) is an international society of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other medical professionals based in Dunwoody, United States to promote travel health initiatives. Founded as an organization in 1991, ISTM has built a global network that is committed to the advancement of travel medicine - currently the largest organization of this type. The ISTM fosters research, facilitates the rapid exchange of information, and provides educational programming to serve the travel medicine community. Promoting the development and evaluation of safe, effective, preventive and curative interventions for patients prior to travel, during travel and post travel is an important aspect of supporting the travel medicine community.
Global Travel Clinic Directory
ISTM hosts a Global Travel Clinic Directory that enables travelers to find medical assistance in over 80 countries. Travel clinics provide travelers with specialized travel medicine care that includes pre, post and during travel immunizations, treatment, and medicines for protection against and treatment of diseases acquired during international travel. Many of the clinics provide care in various languages for better communication between patients and healthcare professionals.
Certificate of Knowledge
ISTM sponsors an examination for professionals to earn a Certificate of Knowledge in Travel Medicine. This exam is offered annually. The exam is written and developed by an international panel of travel medicine experts who are representative of the variety of professional disciplines associated with travel medicine. The exam represents a global standard for travel medicine practitioners in proficiency in travel medicine. In passing the Certificate of Knowledge Examination, one is awarded a Certificate of Travel Health, or CTH.
Online Learning
ISTM established a Travel Medicine Online Learning program consisting of more than 100 educational modules on travel medicine topics. The modules are available over the internet to members of the society as well as non-members.
Conferences of the International Society of Travel Medicine
The Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine (CISTM) is the largest biennial gathering of travel medicine professionals. Typically alternating between Europe and North America, each CISTM provides opportunities for medical professionals to advance their specialty of travel medicine through plenary, symposium, and workshop meetings. Experts in the travel medicine and tangential subjects are invited to provide each delegate with comprehensive knowledge of current events in travel medicine. In non-CISTM years, the ISTM supports regional conferences around the world in conjunction with regional travel medicine societies. The next CISTM will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2021.
Previous CISTMs
2019 - 16th CISTM - Washington, DC, United States of America
2017 - 15th CISTM - Barcelona, Spain
2015 - 14th CISTM - Québec City, Canada
2013 - 13th CISTM - Maastricht, The Netherlands
2011 - 12th CISTM - Boston, United States of America
2009 - 11th CISTM - Budapest, Hungary
2007 - 10th CISTM - Vancouver, Canada
2005 - 9th CISTM - Lisbon, Portugal
2003 - 8th CISTM - New York City, United States of America
2001 - 7th CISTM - Innsbruck, Austria
1999 - 6th CISTM - Montreal, Canada
1997 - 5th CISTM - Geneva, Switzerland
1995 - 4th CISTM - Acapulco, Mexico
1993 - 3rd CISTM - Paris, France
1991 - 2nd CISTM - Atlanta, United States of America
1988 - 1ST CISTM - Zurich, Switzerland
The Journal of Travel Medicine
The Journal of Travel Medicine is a peer reviewed and PubMed-indexed journal for the concentration of travel medicine. Published by ISTM six times a year, it provides medical professionals with current research and original articles. Subjects included in previous journals are: epidemiology among traveling individuals (including members of the military, refugees, and migrants), preventative travel care, diagnosis of illnesses obtained during travel, adventure travel, expatriated individuals, self-therapy, and the impact of travelers on a host country.