Save the Date for 2008 International Trauma Conference in Guanajuato, Mexico
4/15/2008

Ready for Guanajuato? Save the date for the 2008 International Trauma Conference, to be held November 6-8, 2008, at the Hotel Camino Real in Guanajuato, Mexico. Guanajuato is a picturesque city in the mountainous central region of the country.

The full conference brochure will be mailed in early May, and registration will open online shortly.

Download 2008 Conference Brochure now

Preview of Educational Sessions

From mummies to capnography, the 2008 International Trauma Conference has educational sessions for all trauma providers.

A session developed especially for the Guanajuato conference setting will introduce paleoimaging mummified trauma. This presentation describes the techniques and application of field radiography and endoscopy to detect trauma and paleopathologies among the mummified remains of the Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato. Case studies are presented from the ongoing Guanajuato Mummy Project.

ITLS Michigan Chapter Coordinator David Maatman, NREMT-P/IC, CCEMT-P, will present an interactive program on inter-rater reliability, demonstrating the consistencies and inconsistencies that may exist among evaluators watching the same ITLS scenarios for certification. This bold session will teach educators techniques for more objective observations and critique when evaluating students’ performance.

Popular EMS educator and ITLS Board of Directors member Bob Page, AAS, NREMT-P, CCEMT-P/IC, will present an overview and demonstration of the use of capnography in EMS. Mr. Page will share his expertise in reading waveforms and identify the benefits and limitations of capnography for intubated and non-intubated patients. A second presentation by Mr. Page will focus on the clinical significance of vital signs, using examples, video, clinical cases and discussion to improve techniques for measuring vital signs.

Noted EMS author Bryan Bledsoe, DO, FACEP, EMT-P, will also join ITLS for his third consecutive year as a presenter.

Conference Details

The conference hotel is the Hotel Camino Real, located just 5 minutes from the main attractions of Guanajuato’s Historic Center in one of the city's most beautiful haciendas. A special rate of $125 USD per night for a single or $138 USD per night for a double has been arranged at the Camino Real; this rate includes continental breakfast each morning and all taxes (15% federal and 2% local). Attendees who reside outside of Mexico may be able to have the federal tax of 15% waived by providing the hotel with a completed Tourism Migration Form, called the FMT, and a copy of their passport.

The cut-off date for the special hotel rate is October 6, 2008; reservations made after this date will be accepted on a space- and rate-available basis. To make your reservations, contact the Hotel Camino Real by calling + 52-473-102-1500 or email reservas.gto@caminoreal.com.mx, ATTN: Veronica.

Travel Requirements

Please keep in mind as you plan to attend the conference that travel restrictions have changed, and all travelers, including citizens of the United States and Canada, must have a passport when traveling to Mexico.

Passports can take up to three months to be issued in the United States, so ITLS encourages all those who don’t already have a passport to apply now. Additionally, those who already have a passport should make sure that the expiration date is not before May of 2009, as the document must be valid for 6 months beyond your time in Mexico.

All tourists entering Mexico must carry the FMT, the Tourist Migration Form, which is issued free of charge after proof of citizenship is accepted when entering Mexico. This permit can be issued for up to 180 days. Airlines generally provide the forms necessary to obtain the permit aboard your flight to Mexico. If you lose the permit, you may not be allowed to leave until you replace it — a bureaucratic problem that can take as long as a week to correct.

International travelers should also be prepared to show return travel tickets, documents for further travel, and/or demonstration of sufficient funds as additional entry requirements, in the event that they may be requested by Mexican border officials.

Please note that passport and visa requirements are subject to change at short notice. It is a best-practice policy to consult your local embassy or consulate for the most current and most detailed entry requirements.