View from Stone Mountain

Dear Friends,

It is amazing to me how fast 2006 has flown by. Before we can blink all 8,760 hours of it will be gone and I am not really sure where all those hours went! I just know that each year seems to go by faster and faster, but then I was warned that this phenomenon would happen the more birthdays that passed - I just refused to believe it!!

Speaking of hours, as I sit and write this article in late August - there are approximately 6,288 hours until the start of CISTM10 in Vancouver. Now while that may seem like a long time to some of you, it is an incredibly short of amount of time when it comes to making plans to attend the meeting which I am sure you all are intending to do! Don't forget that early registration closes on December 31. Further conference details, including registration and housing information, are available on the website. Please submit any additional questions you may have to cistm10@istm.org.

By the way, if you are planning to take the ISTM Exam just prior to the meeting and find yourself in need of a refresher course, we have just what you need. Over the past few years, many of you have requested a Pre-Exam Review Course. We are pleased to announce that Drs. Lin Chen and David Hill have been working diligently in putting just such courses together - one on either side of the 'pond'. Each course will be held during the weekend of February 9-11, 2007 - one in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas area and the other in the Liverpool, U.K. area. Registration materials and course information can be found on the ISTM website. Please note that registration to sit for the ISTM Exam is NOT a pre-requisite to take either of these courses.

Concerning the Exam - the Body of Knowledge for the Practice of Travel Medicine has been updated and can be found under the 'Exam' tab on the ISTM website as can the latest edition of The Journal of Travel Medicine. If you are planning to sit for the ISTM Certificate of Knowledge Exam, you will want to review the new "BOK" for any updated topics - the Pre-Exam Courses will be utilizing this updated version in their syllabus. Finally, please be sure to get your Exam registration materials in early and make certain you have correctly completed the application form. Registration for the Exam must be done prior to April 16, 2007 - onsite registrations are not allowed.

Don't forget to renew your ISTM membership for 2007 in a timely fashion. This will ensure that you receive all ISTM member benefits, including discounted registration fees to the various activities already mentioned. Anyone not renewed by early March will have all of his or her ISTM benefits suspended. This includes the JTM, TravelMed access, and Travel Clinic Directory listing as well as the discounted registration fees. Why not spend a few moments and take care of that now - then you can mark it off your "to do" list and you will not have to worry about it later. Remember that the easiest and quickest way to take care of your renewal is online - just let us know if you need your username and password.

Please be sure to let either myself or Brooke know if you have questions regarding membership or any other ISTM activities - we are always happy to hear from you!

Until next time, remember that 'practice makes perfect - so be careful what you practice!'

Take care,
Brenda and Brooke