Tropical Training: Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

December 13, 2006 by admin

The lowdown on...the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Probably the most popular course for doctors wanting to practice in the tropics, the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, or DTMH is a good way to prepare for overseas work. Most docs who travel to tropical countries will have this course on their CV and several humanitarian agencies recruit from the graduates.

What does the course entail?
It’s a three month, (six months or one year in some places) full-time postgraduate course for physicians. It aims to equip physicians with the clinical knowledge and skills to diagnose, treat and prevent common tropical diseases. It’s also useful for doctors practising travel medicine or infectious diseases outside the tropics. The course includes a element of epidemiology and public/ community health to give the doctor a grounding in social, economic and political factors influencing health in resource poor countries.

Where can I do it?
In the UK: the two options are at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Both courses are heavily subscribed. Options further afield are Bangkok School of Tropical Medicine Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, James Cook University of Northern Queensland, Australia, Witwatersrand, South Africa and the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam. (all links below) The syllabus of these courses vary as do the length of the training.

Who can apply?
You will have a recognised medical degree and some schools ask for a minimum of two year’s postgraduate clinical experience. You may need to demonstrate proficiency in English. The Netherlands Course in Tropical Medicine is also open to nurses and midwives.

How is it taught?
DTMH includes a mixture or seminars, lectures and practical laboratory work covering:
• communicable diseases
• water supply and sanitation,
• nutrition,
• maternal and child health,
• non-communicable disease,
• population and reproductive health
• and health in emergencies.

You’ll be examined by a mixture of MCQ, essay questions and a practical exam. The pass rate is 50% and, in the UK, it is accredited by the Royal College of Physicians.

Then what?
Many doctors will go on to work overseas. Read about Dan Campion’s (Liverpool) experiences in Guatemala and Claire Collett’s work in Nigeria at http://www.almamata.net/ news/international_work in the Worldsearch interview bank. They both went on to study for Diploma in Medical Care of Catastrophes (DMCC). See http://www.apothecaries.org for more details.

Dr David Osrin did the course in Bangkok after MRCP and went on to work as a Research Fellow in Nepal for the Centre for International Child Health, London and is also interviewed on the site. LSHTM offer two add-on courses: a short course in Travel Medicine or a two-week field trip in The Gambia to gain hands-on experience.

Table of current costs in 2006

Most students are self-funding.There are some scholarships available for African doctors at Liverpool, see their website for details. LSHTM also offer a small number of scholarships and advise overseas applicants to investigate British Council scholarships in their home country. For advice about postgraduate funding, follow the link.

Links
• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine: http://www.liv.ac.uk/lstm
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk
• Bangkok School of Tropical Medicine: http://www.tm.mahidol.ac.th/en
• Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine: http://www.tropmed.tulane.edu/programs/tropmed.shtml
• Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: http://www.kit.nl
• Townsville: James Cook University of Northern Queensland, Australia: http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/sphtm/antonbreinl/handbook06.pdf
• Witwatersrand University, Johanesburg: http://www.wits.ac.za
• Health Training Website: http://www.healthtraining.org
• British Council: http://www.britishcouncil.org

Rebecca Hope
Alma Mata Coordinator

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