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Chrissy Teigen Hosts This New Series That Follows Models Competing To Become The Face Of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Santa Monica, CA - VH1 announces the new reality competition series "Model Employee," which will determine just how far eight models will go for the opportunity of becoming the face of the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. American model Chrissy Teigen will serve as host. The 8-episode series is set to premiere in early 2013.
In order to represent Mandalay Bay, the contestants will be put through a series of challenges designed to test not only their modeling prowess, but also their working knowledge of the hotel -- literally. These runway rulers will have to prove they know the resort inside and out by trading in their haute couture gowns for basic hotel uniforms and performing the dirtiest and most physically exhausting jobs that make the hotel function. Besides cleaning Mandalay Bay's famous shark tank or sifting through all of the resort's trash for recyclable items, the contestants will also be given the opportunity to showcase their modeling abilities by being charming, professional and sexy for a panel of judges in an effort to show they can truly do it all. The contestant who proves able to handle these important jobs, while keeping her poise, will be rewarded the opportunity to represent Mandalay Bay with a $100,000 year- long spokes -model contract.
"'Model Employee' will take viewers behind the curtain of the massive and glamorous Mandalay Bay via gorgeous models who will need to learn how the place actually runs before they can become the face of the resort," said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President of Original Programming & Production at VH1. "Watching really pretty people do some not so pretty work in hopes of truly understanding the brand they hope to represent is an eye-opening experience, and lots of fun to watch."
The contestants will be evaluated by a panel of judges consisting of: Vanessa Branch, former Orbit Gum spokes model, Patrick Miller, VP of Marketing at Mandalay Bay, and Jimmy Smith, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Amusement Park Entertainment. The cast of "Model Employee" includes: Alexis Farmer, Aspen Widowson, Britany Trankino, Jassmine Amos, Johanna Daru, Shannone Holt, Sonja Ewy and Shah Granville.
VH1's "Model Employee" is produced for VH1 by production company Studio Lambert ("Undercover Boss") and is executive produced by Eli Holzman and Stephen Lambert for Studio Lambert. Troy Searer of Giant Pirates is the showrunner and Executive Producer. The series is originally created by veteran Model Agent Michael Flutie who also serves as the Executive Producer for Madwood Media. Kevin Bartel is the Creative Executive and Co-Executive Producer for Studio Lambert. Executive producers for VH1 are Jill Holmes, Tom Huffman, Stacy Alexander and Jeff Olde.
VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, and extensive video on VH1.com. VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to www.vh1press.com or visit VH1.com, the VH1 Facebook page and @VH1 on Twitter.
Studio Lambert is a fast-growing independent television production company based in London and Los Angeles. It specializes in creating and producing entertaining, non-scripted programs for the UK, US and international markets. It launched in Soho, London, in March 2008 and six months later opened a US office in Culver City, CA. It produces programs for a wide range of American and British networks and its formats and finished programs are distributed internationally by All3Media International. Studio Lambert is backed by All3Media, a global group of production companies and an international distribution company (click here for further information about All3Media).
Founded by Michael Flutie, a veteran model agent and talent brand manager, Madwood Media was created to meet the demands of the new media and entertainment marketplace. Madwood produces pop-culture and youth-driven fashion, beauty and lifestyle programming with a focus on unscripted content and branded entertainment for both broadcast and broadband distribution. Madwood produced the first online unscripted series titled, Under the Arch, created and produced Scouted with 51 Minds for the E! Network and Model Employee with Studio Lambert for VH1. Madwood Media is represented by United Talent Agency.


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If you happened to watch all three games played by the Winnipeg Jets this past week, you'd definitely get the feeling that this team is, at least, competing.
When the Jets left on their three-game road trip on Tuesday, they were 8-9-3 and coming off three improesive wins at home. They played hard in a 4-3 overtime loss in Washington, dominated the medicore Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 and then lost 4-2 to the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. They played quite well against the Bruins, but couldn't hold a 2-0 lead and will return home with a record of 9-10-4. While, at times, the trip looked good, it was, in the end, good-looking wheel-spinning. Harsh, perhaps, but that's the bare reality.
Now, let's be fair. When this season started, the Bruins were the defending Stanley Cup champions while the Jets were coming off a season in Atlanta in which they were below .500 and 12th in the East. Friday's game IN Boston should have been a mismatch and yet it wasn't. Not by any sense of the imagination. The Jets played a terrific road game, outshot the home team 42-35 and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that The Three Star selection is one of the NHL's sick jokes (The Jets clearly outplayed the Bruins and yet all three stars were Bruins, C'mon, man!).
Trouble is, the Jets still lost the hockey game. They generally controlled the play, had more of the legitimate scoring chances (19-11) and got a terrific goaltending effort from Ondrej Pavelec (the fourth Bruins goal was an empty-netter), but it still wasn't enough to beat the defending Stanley Cup champions in their own barn. Still, they lost in regulation for the first time in six games and there is something to be said about that.
The Jets are now, once again, below .500 and after going 1-1-1 on this short road trip, they are 13th in the East and yet only three points out of eighth.
But now they have a chance to make some noise. The Jets are 5-3-0 at home this season and 4-7-4 on the road (the highest number of road games played by any NHL team this season). Obviously, they play better at MTS Centre. So starting Tuesday, they play 13 of their next 15 games, right through Dec. 31, at home.
The Jets get Ottawa, Phoenix, New Jersey, Boston, Carolina, Minnesota, Washington, Anaheim, the Islanders, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Toronto in their own building. The only road games are on Saturday the 10th in Detroit and Tuesday the 27th in Denver.
The Jets hjave a legitimate chance to make a playoff run in December. And one figures they'd better. In January and early February, they play 12 their next of 16 games on the road.
The Jets might be under .500 as we speak, but with a month loaded with home games coming up, they have a terrific opportunity to be an "elite" team by New Year's Day.

subset: commoncrawl


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Governments failing to address 'global pandemic of untreated cancer pain'
Governments around the world are leaving hundreds of millions of cancer patients to suffer needlessly because of their failure to ensure adequate access to pain-relieving drugs, an unprecedented new international survey reveals.
The new data, released to the public during the ESMO 2012 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Vienna, paints a shocking picture of unnecessary pain on a global scale, said Prof Nathan Cherny, lead author of the report from Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel, Chair of the ESMO Palliative Care Working Group.
"Unrelieved cancer pain is a cause of major worldwide suffering, not because we don't have the tools necessary to relive pain, but because most patients don't have access to the essential pain-relieving medication," Prof Cherny said. "This pandemic affects literally billions of people. Not only are the patients suffering often terrible unrelieved pain, but their family members are often permanently scarred by the memories of witnessing such suffering in their loved ones."
The International Collaborative Project to Evaluate the Availability and Accessibility of Opioids for the Management of Cancer Pain was initiated by the European Society for Medical Oncology and coordinated with the European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC), the Pain and Policies Study Group (PPSG) at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). They were assisted by the cooperation and participation of a further 17 international oncology and palliative care organizations. This project was undertaken under the auspices of the ESMO Developing Countries Task Force, led by Dr. Adamos Adamou, Cyprus.
The study data was gathered between December 2010 and July 2012, with 156 reports submitted by experts in 76 countries and 19 Indian states. These reports represented 58% of countries and 83% of 5.7 billion of the people living in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin and Central America and the Caribbean.
The researchers found that very few countries provided all seven of the opioid medications that are considered to be essential for the relief of cancer pain by the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care[3]. Those essential medications include, among others, codeine, immediate and slow release oral morphine, oral oxycodone and transdermal fentanyl.
In many countries, fewer than three of the seven medications are available. In many of the countries, those medications that are available are either unsubsidised or weakly subsidised by government, and availability is often limited. Furthermore, many countries have highly restrictive regulations that limit entitlement of cancer patients to receive prescriptions, limit prescriber privileges, impose restrictive limits on duration of prescription, restrict dispensing, and increase bureaucratic burden of the prescribing and dispensing process.
There is an urgent need to examine drug control policies and repeal excessive restrictions which impede this most fundamental aspect of cancer care, the researchers said. The issues were particularly severe in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin and Central America.
"The study has provided an unprecedented wealth of knowledge that will be an essential tool in lobbying to reformulate national plans for the treatment of cancer pain," Prof Cherny said. "We now know which countries have suboptimal formularies of medication to relive pain, we know how much patients must pay out-of-pocket for the medications, and we know which countries have excessive regulatory barriers making it sometimes nearly impossible for a patient to get a prescription, get it to a nearby pharmacy and have the medicine dispensed."
"In many, if not most, of the counties and states we have looked at, patients are stymied by regulatory barriers at multiple steps along this process; the end result being that hundreds of millions patients don't have access to essential pain-relieving medications," Prof Cherny said.
"We are determined to tackle this problem at every level. The first presentation of this data at ESMO 2012 is only the beginning of an organized and coordinated effort to take on one of the major global public health challenges of our time —the effective relieve of cancer pain for all cancer patients, wherever they may be."
Commenting on the study, Dr Carla Ripamonti, Head of the Supportive Care in Cancer Unit of the IRCCS Foundation National Cancer Institute of Milan, Italy, member of the ESMO Faculty Group on Supportive and Palliative care, not involved in the study, said: "Despite published guidelines and educational programs on the assessment and treatment of cancer-related pain, unrelieved pain continues to be a substantial worldwide public health concern in patients with solid cancers and hematological malignancies."
"Studies have shown that pain can affect as many as 64% of patients with metastatic, advanced or terminal phase disease, 59% of patients on anticancer treatment and 33% of patients after curative treatment," Dr Ripamonti said. "According to the World Health Organization, the incidence of cancer was 12,667,470 new cases in 2008 and based on the projections it will be more than 15 million cases in 2020. These statistics suggest that cancer-related pain may be a major issue of healthcare systems worldwide."
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12-year-old arrested in homeless man's shooting death
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 12-year-old boy has been arrested in the June shooting death of a homeless man.
The boy was one of two suspects seen in surveillance video from the night of 54-year-old Thomas Trent's death. The second suspect, a 16-year-old, was picked up on an unrelated robbery charge, and he helped lead police to the 12-year-old, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Trent was found with a gunshot wound to the head in a Jacksonville strip mall on June 28.
"It's a horrific event," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Chris Butler said at a news conference. "Horrific for the victim ... but also you're talking about a 12-year-old child."
The weapon used in the shooting has not been recovered, Butler said. He said the 16-year-old is not a suspect in Trent's slaying but didn't elaborate.
The State Attorney's Office has not yet filed charges in the case, and declined further comment on the investigation.
Trent was homeless but had visited his sister Dawn McNabb at her Jacksonville home. She indicated in an interview that he had just got out of the hospital.
"Why would that child think it's OK to kill somebody, take somebody's life?" McNabb said. "He did not do nothing to him. That's wrong, just wrong."
Contributing: The Associated Press


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Group-based GMM
Mplus Discussion
Growth Modeling of Longitudinal Data
posted on Sunday, October 07, 2007 - 3:33 pm
I am running growth mixture modeling analyses, specifying specific groups (e.g., male vs. female; sexual offender vs. index offender vs. nonoffender). My DVs are indexes of self report delinquency across 7 assessment waves. How would I compare the trajectories across these different groups? Would I need to calculate t tests by hand for the intercepts, linear slopes, & quadratic slopes to see if the trajectories are different, or is there some other method? I have been using MLR estimation.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, October 08, 2007 - 5:48 am
Growth mixture modeling involves classes based on unobserved heterogeneity. Are all of your groups observed?
posted on Monday, October 08, 2007 - 6:47 pm
Yes, they are observed. What would this be called then? Just growth model? In the User's Guide, there is an explanation for GMM for known classes (multiple group analysis). Is this somehow different? If so, would I use the grouping option of the VARIABLE command and then use TYPE=GENERAL MISSING (there are MAR data) and ML option under the ANALYSIS command?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, October 09, 2007 - 6:00 am
In the user's guide example, there are two categorical latent variables. One is used for KNOWNCLASS, the other is not. In your case, you are doing a multiple group growth model. All groups are defined by observed variables. Yes, you would use the GROUPING option and TYPE=GENERAL MISSING H1;
posted on Tuesday, October 09, 2007 - 8:06 pm
For a 2 group model, what should I look at in terms of output to see if the groups differ from each other? Is this an omnibus test (in other words, how would I know what groups differ from other groups if I had 3 or more groups)? Here is an excerpt of the stats:
Chi-Square Test of Model Fit
Value 1073.940
Degrees of Freedom 198
P-Value 0.0000
Chi-Square Contributions From Each Group
Chi-Square Test of Model Fit for the Baseline Model
Value 5302.518
Degrees of Freedom 176
P-Value 0.0000
H0 Value -10506.506
H1 Value -9969.536
Information Criteria
Number of Free Parameters 46
Sample-Size Adjusted BIC 21209.712
Estimate 0.072
90 Percent C.I. 0.067 0.076
Value 0.210
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 7:22 am
The first step with multiple group growth modeling is to fit the growth model in each group separately. If the same growth model does not fit in both groups, it does not make sense to analyze the groups together and compare growth factors means, variances, and covariances.
posted on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 7:54 pm
I have tried to fit the growth model in each group, but the fit statistics do not reveal good fitting models (I have tried linear, quadratic, and cubic growth curves)--e.g., RMSEA > .10, CFI/TLI < .90, sig chi sq. Do you have suggestions on what I could do to get adequate model fit?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, October 11, 2007 - 5:59 am
Have you looked at modification indices to see where the misfit is?
Michael Spaeth
posted on Thursday, October 11, 2007 - 12:29 pm
Don't want to make a new thread and i think my question is comparable to scott's problems. I want to evaluate a primary prevention programme dealing with alcohol use in young adolescents. I have a pre-test and three follow ups. I expect heterogeneity regarding the trajectories and differential programme effects for those.
I plan the following analysis:
1.) single class LGCA seperately for control and treatment group to get a clue
2.) multi group LCGA analyses to test for overall effects of the programme, also checking for treatment baseline interaction
3.) LGMM seperately for treatment and control group
4.) LGMM with treatment group as dummy coded covariate with slopes regressed on it
Regarding point 4... Obviously it is not possible in this model to test for treatment/initial status interaction...!? Would you recommend a model pretty much like Example 8.8 in the manual (gmm with multiple group)? Or is this "too much"!? Can i use the above mentioned covariate model instead, when i have found no interaction in point 2?
a little bit off topic... Because we measure alcohol consume (continous variable) at an very early age at time 1 and time 2 (10 years old) we have many zero values. Is that a problem? how can i handle that?
Many thanks!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, October 11, 2007 - 3:26 pm
Your analysis plan sounds reasonable.
If your trajectories differ more in the intercept of the trajectories rather than in the slope and the treatment effect is allowed to vary across classes, you are testing for a treatment/initial status interaction.
For models with a preponderance of zeros, you could consider two-part modeling. See Example 6.16 and the reference mentioned there.
Michael Spaeth
posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 2:11 am
Thanks so much!
regarding the zeros... Exists there any threshold for this problem so that it is not ingorable? the problems with zero becomes more and more weaker within the last two measurement points. Is this a problem for model 6.16?
I've heard of adding a constant and doing a log transformation of those raw scores to overcome the problem of nonnormal distributions. Is that an alternative?
If not, seems a little bit complicated to me, to combine 6.16 with my analysis steps 3 and 4. Exists there any example or paper doing that!?
Thanks for helping very interested beginners in LGCA! :-)
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 10:13 am
I don't think a log transformation would avoid the piling up of values. I would say you should have at least 20 percent zeros for two-part modeling. Following is a cross-sectional paper that goes through the steps of two-part modeling that may help you:
Kim, Y.K. & Muth�n, B. (2007). Two-part factor mixture modeling: Application to an aggressive behavior measurement instrument.
It can be downloaded from the website.
Michael Spaeth
posted on Monday, October 15, 2007 - 10:23 am
Once again, thanks for these helpful recommendations.
1.) I went through the above mentioned article and was wondering how to apply the two-part modeling issue within my longitudinal LGMM Study. The only related article i had found was the Brown et al. paper from your website. But this study only deals with two-part LGM (single class analysis). Exists there any example/paper integrating the two-part modeling in the LGMM framework?
2.) Based on your recommendation to have at least 20 percent zeros for two part modeling. Imagine we measure alcohol consumption in a longitudinal study at the age of ten till the age of 16. At the age of 14, 15 or 16 there might be less zeros in the sample, may be 19 percent or less. Would be piecewise modeling an alternative? (First piece with two-part modeling, second piece without) Or exist there other ways to handle that problem?
Thanks so far!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 - 12:27 pm
1. I don't know of any paper but the one I suggested. You would have to generalize from there.
2. I would stick with two-part.
posted on Monday, March 26, 2012 - 7:38 am
Running GMMs with categorical outcome variables, does one use (apart from BIC, tech11 & tech14) the Chi-Square test "for ordered categorical outcomes" or "for MCAR under unrestricted LC indicator model" to determine model fit?
Thank you
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, March 26, 2012 - 8:09 am
The MCAR test is not a test of model fit.
The two chi-square tests can be used if the number of indicators is eight or less and if the two tests agree.
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How does one train to walk 8,000 miles?????
Interval workouts?†Altitude training? Squats, lunges and sprints?????
None of the above for CFCA President Bob Hentzen, who plans to walk 20-25 miles a day for 16 months.
Consistency and perseverance are more important than sudden high-intensity, high-repetition workouts.
"My style and training is to calmly and tranquilly be prepared," Hentzen said. "It's kind of like in school. You can't just cram for a test. You've got to be studying all along."????
For years, Hentzen has risen early every day to jog or walk, do Tai Chi and stretch. His weight training consists of exercising with the same weight he will carry on the road – about 10 to 15 pounds.????
Hentzen is familiar with the physical demands he will face. He walked 4,000 miles from Kansas City to Guatemala in 1996. That was 13 years ago, when he was 60. Though this walk is twice the distance, Hentzen isn't daunted.????
"I feel very good, very energized by the solidarity of the staff and CFCA families," he said.?


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DALLAS (AP) Former NFL quarterback Vince Young admitted under oath he probably signed at least some of the documents for a $1.9 million loan he claims he shouldn't have to repay.
"All I know is I probably could have signed some of them, and I feel like some of them are fishy," he testified in a videotaped deposition last month.
A copy of the deposition transcript was obtained by The Associated Press.
Young, who has been out of football since he was cut by the Buffalo Bills before the start of the 2012 season, is fighting a $1.7 million judgment against him obtained by New York-based Pro Player Funding LLC last July. The former University of Texas star has said he wasn't involved in seeking the high-interest loan, funded during the NFL lockout in 2011, and never got the proceeds.
But in the deposition, taken Dec. 13 in Houston, Young acknowledged he probably signed some of the paperwork in the presence of a notary during a visit to the office of a Houston lawyer.
"I went to sign some papers that my financial adviser asked me to go over and sign, but I don't remember what it was," he testified.
Asked by Pro Player's attorney if he bothered to request the documents in their entirety, Young replied: "No. I'd just go and sign and get out of there."
In court filings last year, Young said he didn't recall signing the paperwork. If he did sign something, it happened without the corresponding loan information being made available to him, he said. He also claimed no notary was present.
Young's attorney, Trey Dolezal, did not respond to requests for comment on the deposition.
As part of his testimony, Young acknowledged that he never questioned why $1 million of the salary he earned from the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2011 season went directly from the team to Pro Player.
"I never have discussions about things like that when I'm playing football," he said. "I'm just too focused. ... Like I said, I put my trust in (his accountant) to find out what's going on and my lawyers to figure it out so I can focus on playing football."
At one point, Pro Player attorney Sean Bellew asked Young whether he understood the significance of having a judgment against him.
"I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know nothing about this," he replied. "Only information I know is what my lawyer explains to me and lets me know what goes on. I'm just trying to figure it out myself."
Young testified that he was "lied to" by advisers who falsely claimed to have put $5 million of his money in a "trust." He also acknowledged that he allowed people to have power of attorney over his affairs without understanding what that meant.
"If they do anything on your behalf, I thought they had to make sure it goes by you and I'm signing for it," he testified. "I didn't know that ... if they have a power of attorney, they can go do anything with your signature."
Young has sued his former agent, Houston attorney Major Adams, and a North Carolina financial planner, Ronnie Peoples, claiming they misappropriated $5.5 million. The lawsuit, filed five days after the Pro Player loan went into default, also contends that Adams and Peoples obtained the loan for their own benefit.
Adams and Peoples have denied wrongdoing, and Peoples has filed a countersuit in which he alleges that Young caused his money problems by overspending and allowing his uncle, a former middle school teacher, to oversee his finances.
Attempts by Bellew to seek detailed information from Young about his current financial condition were repeatedly cut off by Dolezal.
"He's kept up with his bills," Dolezal said at one point. "And that's about as far as that's going to go."
Financing statements reviewed by the AP show that Young was one of at least 16 current or former NFL players who obtained loans from Pro Player in 2011. Three NBA players also borrowed money from the company, according to the documents.
Pro Player sued Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie last year over what the company said was more than $4.5 million in unpaid loans. That matter was settled in July when McKinnie agreed to have 50 percent of his wages garnished during the 2012 season.
Follow Danny Robbins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RobbinsDanny


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Followers of Partizan will know that we don't like to boast about the shows, we prefer to let them sell themselves. Hence the often understated advertising. We could, for example, claim to be 'the best show in Nottinghamshire', or 'probably the best one day show in the world', but we'd rather you came along and made your own mind up. If you want to know how good the games are look through some back issues of 'Wargames Illustrated', 'Battlegames' or 'WSS'. If you want to know what the show is like, ask one of the listed traders how they rate it compared to other shows. Or ask a wargamer who knows....
And if you're reading this from somewhere that we English would call 'abroad', isn't it time for that trip to England?
Newark Irregulars/Partizan Team
"Partizan maintains its lead and just keeps getting better."
Wargamer's Notebook, Wargames
"favourite shows [of 2000] Partizan again; all three editions were outstanding in different ways. And having won so many times they get to keep the cup."
Mike Siggins, Wargames Illustr
"Newark's Partizan probably presents the finest example [of specialist shows] as far as public displays go. This is a prestigious presentation of the hobby"
Tim Hallam, Wargames Illustrat
"If I can only get to one convention in the year I'm happy so long as it's Newark."
Dominic Skelton, Wargames Illu
I came up from Colchester for my first Partizan and was very impressed by the organisation, the venue and the show. There was a good mix of traders, displays and participation games and historical societies.
What A Brilliant Show/Day
An excellent show and and thansk for saving the disabled parking spots for those entitled to use them. Roll on August.
Excellent Show
I came to see the show from Finland (btw shared a cab from the train station with a nice Australian(!) couple) and absolutely loved every second of it. So much to see, buy and to do. Eye candies everywhere. Will definately recommend the show to everyone!
(I also bought all the 3 games, that was demoed to me. :)


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- Managua
Nicaragua Travel Information
The Basics
Local time is GMT -6.
Electrical current in Nicaragua is 120 volts, 60Hz. Flat blade plugs are used.
The official language in Nicaragua is Spanish. Some communities on the Caribbean Coast speak indigenous languages. English is understood at some tourist destinations.
Travel Health
Visitors from a yellow fever infected area in the Americas or Africa require proof of their vaccination before entry. Malaria is a threat in many regions of Nicaragua and travellers are advised to seek medical advice and take some form prophylaxis.
Insect repellent and mosquito nets should be used to avoid malaria and dengue fever, both of which are carried by mosquitos. Recommended vaccinations include ones for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and typhoid, and for rabies for those coming into contacts with animals, especially bats.
Modern medical facilities in Nicaragua are only found in major towns and cities, the best of which are in Managua. Rural communities lack modern hospitals and equipment, and medications are in short supply. If needing a hospital in Nicaragua, travellers should indicate that they desire a private hospital.
Comprehensive travel insurance is essential and travellers should take along any medication they require in its original packaging, and accompanied by a signed and dated letter from a doctor detailing what it is and why it is needed.
The most common health affliction for tourists is traveller's diarrhoea, which is preventable by safe water and food consumption. Travellers should not drink tap water, and should use common sense when eating uncooked foods.
Tips of 10 to 15 percent are expected at restaurants in Nicaragua. Standard tipping is usual at hotels. Taxi drivers do not usually expect to be tipped.
Safety Information
Rural areas in Nicaragua are notably void of police and there has been a recent increase in crime in these areas. Theft and violent crime are also becoming more common in urban areas of the usually safe country. Travellers should be careful of muggings in taxis and only use official taxis with a red license plate.
Buses should not be used after dark. Due to poor road conditions, highway driving is especially dangerous after dark and should be avoided. Political demonstrations and protests occur sporadically in urban areas and can become violent; tourists should avoid all street gatherings.
Powerful waves and currents can make Nicaragua's beaches dangerous, and swimmers and surfers should exercise caution. Despite these risks, Nicaragua is still one of the safest countries to travel to in the region and most visits are trouble-free.
Local Customs
It is usual for adults in Nicaragua to live with their parents, and visitors should greet the oldest or most important person in a group first. When shopping, it is customary to bargain for goods.
The international access code for Nicaragua is +505. The outgoing code is 00, followed by the relevant country code (00 44 for the United Kingdom). The city area code for Managua is 2. Mobile phones operate on GSM and 3G networks. Local mobile phone calls are usually cheapest with locally bought SIM cards. Internet is widely available in all major cities, although the connection speed is sometimes slow.
Duty Free
Visitors to Nicaragua may import up to 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 500g of tobacco, five litres of liquor, 2kg of confectionary, and perfume for personal use. Meat, dairy, and leather products, as well as matches, are restricted. Firearms require an import license.
Become our Nicaragua Travel Expert
We are looking for contributors for our Nicaragua travel guide. If you are a local, a regular traveller to Nicaragua or a travel professional with time to contribute and answer occasional forum questions, please contact us.


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MSc (Sports & Exercise Medicine)
College of Medicine, Nursing, & Health Sciences
Course overview
This programme is designed for medical doctors interested in sports and exercise medicine.
Programme description
The overall intention of the Masters programme is to produce a successful student with a wide breadth of knowledge across Sports & Exercise Medicine and the necessary skills to put the theory into practice.
Programme aims and objectives
The programme will provide doctors and physiotherapists with:
- The necessary scientific background knowledge to appreciate the issues arising in the field of Sports & Exercise Medicine.
- The necessary skills and knowledge to provide advice on the prevention of sports injuries.
- Up-to-date training in modern methods of assessing, diagnosing, and treating sports injuries, including emergency care.
- Opportunities to learn about the theory and application of Sports Psychology, Podiatry, Biomechanics, Sports Nutrition, Sports Pharmacology, Exercise Physiology, Fitness Assessment, and ethical issues within sport.
- An opportunity to learn about the medical applications of exercise in maintaining health and in disease.
- An introduction to research appropriate to the field of Sports & Exercise Medicine.
Key facts
Entry requirements
Applicants must be medical graduates of the NUI or another University acceptable to the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences. Graduates will be expected to have a minimum of one year post-registration experience
2 years, part-time
Next start date: This programme is now incorporated into the Masters in Medical Science programme.
ECTS weighting: 90
Average intake: 10
Closing date: This programme is now incorporated into the Masters in Medical Science programme.
Course outline
The Masters programme in Sports and Exercise Medicine is a 2-year part-time programme, modular in structure made up of 2 semesters per year and 3 modules per semester (60 ECTS), with a Masters thesis (30 ECTS) submitted by the end of year two. An exit route (Postgraduate Diploma) is available after year 2 upon successful completion of all modules (60 ECTS). Lectures and clinical teaching take place in the evenings and weekends. In addition candidates attend clinics and keep a log of their attendance.
Year 1
- Module 1: Musculoskeletal Anatomy
- Module 2: Sports Injury I
- Module 3:Biomechanics
- Module 4:Exercise Physiology
- Module 5: Sports Injury I
- Module 6:Bioinformatics and Bioethics
Year 2
- Module 1:Pre Existing Medical Conditions and Exercise
- Module 2:Clinical Exercise Rehabilitation
- Module 3:Biostatistics
- Module 4:Population Health and Exercise Programming
- Module 5:Medical Emergencies
- Module 6:Sport, Exercise, and Performance
- Thesis 30 ECTS
Coursework will be interdisciplinary and planned to align with the programme and module learning outcomes. Modules will be assessed at the end of each semester consisting of a practical skills assessment and a knowledge-based MCQ. In addition, clinical modules will be assessed using OSCE and clinical case studies. A research proposal will be submitted at the end of year one.
Applications and selections
Applications are made online via The Postgraduate Applications Centre (PAC). Relevant PAC application code(s) above.
Short-listed applicants may be called to interview and the final selection made at that point. Preference will be given to applicants with a strong sporting background, either personal involvement or recognised service provision.
Who teaches this course?
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Career opportunities
Graduates have found employment in governing bodies of sport and the Irish Sports Council, and working as Team Doctors for amateur and professional teams.
PAC code
Fees for this course
EU (Total): €4,745
- Student levy: €224
Non-EU (Total): €13,750
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