Travel & Tropical Medicine Elective
The Travel and Tropical Medicine elective is a one-month elective at the HealthPartners Travel and Tropical Medicine Center to give Internal Medicine and Medicine-Pediatrics residents the opportunity to complete an outpatient rotation with expert clinicians in travel and tropical medicine.
Residents will spend time observing and providing pre-travel consultations with physicians and advanced practice providers, as well as providing tropical medicine consultations (for the ill international traveler) with HealthPartners tropical medicine experts. Residents will follow a different provider each half day. During the rotation, residents will be expected to complete a one-week online travel medicine course module, in addition to reviewing written resources (textbooks of travel medicine) which will be provided. Pre and post testing for knowledge in travel medicine will occur on the first and last day of the rotation.
Elective Objectives:
- Gain significant understanding of the field of Travel Medicine as a specialty; knowing when to provide advice and when to refer for more expert consultation at a Travel Clinic.
- Learn the key online and written resources for pre-travel consultations.
- Learn how to provide a thorough pre-travel consultation, focusing on the epidemiology of travel related morbidity and mortality, and not just on vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). A sampling of topics that will be covered in depth include: safety and security, insurance, jet lag, altitude illness, motion sickness, prevention and treatment of diarrhea, malaria prophylaxis, insect precautions, VPDs, the immunosuppressed traveler, and traveling with chronic illness (diabetes, COPD, etc.).
- Learn how to approach the ill returning traveler including how to take a thorough travel medicine exposure history and how to address syndromes in travelers (fever and rash, fever and joint pain, diarrhea, and jaundice, etc.).
Eligibility and Approval Process
Eligibility
Internal Medicine and Medicine-Pediatrics Residents (PGY 2, 3, and 4)
Preference for Granting Rotation Approval
Considerations are made in this order:
- Global Medicine Pathway Residents: while this elective is open to all Internal Medicine and Medicine Pediatric residents, preference is given to Global Medicine Pathway residents.
- Career Interests: If resident is not in the Global Medicine Pathway but has expressed an interest in global health or plan to work with refugees/immigrants in the future, the resident is eligible to participate in the elective.
- Degree of Interest in this Rotation: How did the resident rank the Travel and Tropical Medicine Elective rotation on their preference list?
Schedule and Registration
Elective Schedule
Elective follows Internal Medicine and Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Block Schedule
- Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm
- Year-round offering
- One resident per block/rotation
- Elective is vacation eligible
Registration Process
- Obtain approval from residency program director and coordinator.
- Obtain approval from Dr. Salahudin Maalim, MD, CTropMed®, Medical Director: Salaudin.m.Maalim@HealthPartners.com
Note: Approval must be obtained from both the residency program director as well as HealthPartners before a rotation is considered approved. - Inform the Global Medicine Pathway Coordinator in order to confirm online travel medicine course module enrollment at globalhealth@umn.edu
Absentee Process
Residents are responsible for notifying their elective preceptor, Dr. Maalim, Felicia Jones, and their residency program chief as soon as possible. Sick leave will be approved for legitimate illness.
Elective Location
HealthPartners Travel and Tropical Medicine Center
401 Phalen Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55130
Elective Contacts
Dr. Salahudin Maalim, MD, CTropMed®
Medical Director
Salaudin.m.Maalim@HealthPartners.com
Tracy Carr, BSN, RN
Care Delivery Supervisor
Tracy.A.Carr@healthpartners.com
Andi Szalay
Sr. Admin Assistant
Andrea.m.Szalay@healthpartners.com
Contact Us
Email: globalhealth@umn.edu
Phone: 612-626-3526