Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Programme Outline

This programme is particularly useful for physicians who have trained in medicine in a developed country, but intend to practice in the tropics. It is also useful for physicians already practising in developing countries who require an update on infectious, parasitic, and other health problems, and for doctors in developed countries who need to diagnose and manage imported infections.

It is recognised as fulfilling part of the requirements for the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Certificate in Travel Medicine.

This course aims to:

• Identify stages of parasites important in the diagnosis of tropical disease.
• Describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of the major parasitic, communicable and non-communicable diseases of the tropics.
• Recognise the main genera of insect vectors of disease and understand their behaviour sufficiently to discuss control methods.
• Identify the health needs of communities and discuss ways of improving health at village and district level.
• Discuss the principles of epidemiology and control as applied to a range of diseases highly prevalent in the tropics.
• Discuss the importance of the social, cultural and economic setting of people and communities in the planning and implementation of health services and disease control.

Careers

The programme provides excellent training for doctors intending to work in resource poor tropical countries (clinical services, public health, research and emergency relief programmes). The programme is also highly relevant to practitioners in developed countries, particularly those involved in infectious diseases, communicable disease control, travel health, emergency medicine and general practice.

Doctors with a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene typically work with NGOs and IOs directly after the course, providing a valuable year out of core or specialty training. Many medical retirees also join us on the course before starting volunteer work overseas. This diploma is an essential criterion for working with large NGOs, such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).