FEES

A money order made payable to the International Society of Addiction Medicine for in person exams:

• $800 US (non-ISAM members)
• $700 US (ISAM members)
• $725 US (for members of Affiliate Societies)

For online exams:

• $1100 US (non-ISAM members)
• $1200 US (ISAM members)
• The higher fee is for additional expenses of virtual platform, tech support and virtual proctoring

is to be forwarded along with the application material to:

ISAM c/o 2638 – 30 Street SW, Calgary AB T3E 2M2 Canada

If you prefer to pay online – please go under the EVENTS tab on the home page to REGISTRATION and then ISAM EXAM REGISTRATION The exam fee rates arelisted and paypal is the vehicle for payment but you can pay with a credit card.

PLEASE NOTE: Rejected applications will be refunded minus a $100 US processing fee.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Specific Knowledge and Skills

The field of Addiction Medicine requires knowledge of pharmacology, psychiatry, general medicine, and psychology, as well as an understanding of the interaction of these disciplines. In order to ensure that the trainee is well-versed in these areas, training programs must include both hands-on experience in clinical situations as well as classroom and seminar sessions.

1. Recognition of the signs and symptoms of the use of all of the major categories of drugs/psychoactive (mood-altering) substances, including sedatives (alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates), stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine, tobacco), opioids, hallucinogens (marijuana, LSD, PCP) and inhalants (organic solvents, glue)
2. Recognition of the signs of abuse and dependence on these categories of drugs/substances.
3. Recognition of the signs of withdrawal from these major categories of drugs and knowledge and experience with the range of options for treatment of the withdrawal syndrome and its complications.
4. Recognition of the signs and symptoms of overdose and medical and psychiatric sequelae of these major categories of drugs and knowledge of the proper treatment of overdose.
5. Diagnosis of the medical sequelae of addiction, including hepatic, central nervous system, infectious, and HIV illness.
6. Recognition of the signs and symptoms of the psychological, social and spiritual problems accompanying the chronic use, abuse and dependence related to the major categories of drugs and knowledge of the range of management options.
7. Recognition and understanding of the special problems of drug/substance use, abuse and dependence during pregnancy and of the babies born to these mothers.
8. Recognition and understanding of the special problems of drug/substance use, abuse and dependence in target populations such as children and adolescents, women and seniors.
9. Recognition, education and appropriate treatment related to behavioral addictions like gambling, sex, internet, work, shopping etc.
10. Recognition, education and appropriate treatment of adjustment disorders and/or other concurrent illness in individuals and their family members

BASIC CLINICAL EXPOSURE

1. Exposure in the clinical context to:
   • a) patients with substance-related disorders in a community, out-patient setting
   • b) hospitalized medical and surgical patients with substance-induced disorders and substance use disorders
   • c) psychiatric patients — inpatient or outpatient — with concurrent substance use disorders, specifically – Substance Abuse and Substance Dependence, including alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
   • d) families of above patients suffering from adjustment disorders
2. Laboratory assessments
   • a) biochemical indicators of chronic alcohol/drug use and their complications
   • b) questionnaire assessments, such as the MAST, AUDIT and CAGE-AID

3. Knowledge of the evaluation and treatment of abuse of each of these categories of agents:
   • a) depressants like alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates
   • b) opioids
   • c) cocaine and stimulants
   • d) marijuana and hallucinogens
   • e) inhalants like organic solvents, glue

4. Pharmacology of the aforementioned psychoactive/mood-altering substances

6. Types of treatment
   • a) detoxification
   • b) medical complications of substance use disorders (including intravenous drug use and its related transmission of infectious diseases like Hepatitis B, C and AIDS)
   • c) rehabilitation models based on 12-step programs and other psycho-social-spiritual, behavioral approaches
   • d) counseling, individual psychotherapy and group psychotherapy
7. Exposure in the clinical context to the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral addictions

 

Recommended Textbooks and other basic references

Basic Textbook

• el-Guebaly N, Galanter M, Carrà G, Baldacchino A. (Eds.).  Textbook of Addiction Treatment: International Perspectives 2nd ed., Vol I-II. Springer Nature, Switzerland, 2021
• https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030363901

Additional References

• DSM-V TM. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. American Psychiatric Association, Washington DC, 2013.
• ICD 11. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. [ONLY Section on Behavioral & Mental Disorders], Geneva, World Health Organization, 2019. https://icd.who.int/en World Health Organization. Neuroscience of psychoactive substance use and dependence. Geneva, 2004.