Continuing professional development 

Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene Blended learning

The study course Tropical Medicine & Hygiene which sits in the Wellcome Centre For Integrative Parasitology prepares medically qualified students for the Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene exam set by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in London.

  • CPD: 10 months

Why this course

  • This University of Glasgow course has been running as a continuing professional/personal development course since the late 1980s and benefits from a wealth of experience.
  • The course is directed by Professor Michael Barrett and led by Dr Christina Naula who are both passionate about the delivery of a quality course, meeting students’ needs to ensure their success in the RCP exam. This is reflected in the excellent RCP exam pass rate for University of Glasgow students.  
  • In June 2022, our pass rate was 70.3%. 
  • Entry is competitive and your qualifications, career path, and personal statement will be considered.  We encourage applications from FY2 to retirement, and from all medical disciplines.  We hope to make offers and confirm teaching arrangements in late August. 

    • Student feedback - 2022

    • "Teaching was excellent- really well structured and clear”
    • "Excellent team running the course, very clear and prompt communication"
    • "The tutorials were the highlight of the course. They were really interesting and engaging"
    • "Excellent coverage at a good pace, extremely well organised"
    • "Very good teaching quality on a good array of subjects"
    • "Course is excellent, well-paced and easy to refer back to resources as needed"
    • "This is an outstanding option for practicing clinicians – high level teaching combined with flexible schedule"

Course structure

  • Material on the virtual learning environment is released weekly and is available on demand to allow you flexibility and control over your learning.
  • Online live tutorials with exam focused clinical content are held fortnightly.  These are recorded and available to watch on demand.
  • An intensive online lecture and workshop week in January.  Provisionally, this will run in the week starting 15th January 2024.  Sessions run during the day and we recommend taking study leave to allow you to focus on this.
  • Students are required to undertake considerable private study, covering large volumes of material at a fast pace.
  • We recommend that you are able to commit to at least 5 hours per week of self-study for the duration of the course.

The study course starts in September and runs until the RCP exam, which took place in June 2021 and 2022.

Microscopy training

Proficiency in microscopy (requiring a minimum of 12 hours of microscopy/practical parasitology teaching) is a requirement to sit the RCP exam.

In session 2023-4, this will be offered at:

  • The University of Glasgow, main campus
  • This is likely to be taught over 3 days between 27 – 29th November 2023 and 4 - 6 December 2023

In January or February 2024, microscopy will be offered at the following institutions:

  • Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi
  • University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Medicas (CIDEIM), Cali, Colombia
  • Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
  • Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India
  • Manipal University, India

Confirmed dates will be added as they become available.

If you wish to be considered for microscopy training at a centre other than Glasgow, please indicate this clearly in your letter of motivation.

Please note that this course requires significant amounts of study, and based on previous student feedback we do not recommend to you plan to study for or sit MRCP or similar exams in the same year.  

Course alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours to run all courses as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw or alter a course. For more information, please see: Student contract.

Fees & funding

Fees (2023-24)

  • Students from high income countries: £2,900
  • Students who reside in a DAC listed country: £1000

Exam fees for the RCP examination are paid separately by you directly to the RCP.  Please see the RCP website for more details.  

Course revision package

To support UofG course alumni preparing for the RCP exam, we offer the following:

  • Full access to course revision learning platform
  • Attendance at tutorials and revision sessions

The fee is £250.

Scholarships 

For session 2023-2024, we are offering 15 competitive scholarships.  12 of these are shared and offered in conjunction with Universitas Indonesia, University of Malaya and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in Malawi and are open to medical doctors from these institutions. The scholarships are offered to build and strengthen healthcare capacity.  

Two further scholarships are offered in memory of Dr Hector Diaz Albiter. These scholarships are open to South American medical doctors.  Hector was a passionate parasitologist who specialised in leishmania-sandfly interaction, his ability to communicate science was unrivalled. Enthusiastic, bubbling with ideas and thrilled to see eyes open wide as he explained to anyone, of any age, willing to listen, the marvels of those insects that carry disease. These scholarships are offered to continue his spirit and enthusiasm.  

This scholarship covers payment of the following: 

  • Study course fees 
  • RCP exam fees

Applications should be made through the Apply Now button on this page.

In their letter of motivation applicants for these scholarships should make a strong case for how they will benefit from the DTMH qualification and how this supports healthcare systems in their country of residence.  

The application portal closes on the 31 July 2023. Please start your application early to ensure you are able to submit in time.  

Should you have any questions, please contact Donald.Ross@glasgow.ac.uk

Entry requirements

  • The entry requirements for this course are that you hold a primary medical qualification e.g. MBBS, BMBS, MBChB, MBBCh and that you are an FY2 and beyond.  
  • We recommend an IELTS score of 7.5, however, you do not need to have taken IELTS, or any other language examination.  
  • Please check you meet the RCP exam entry requirements.
  • You must have access to a computer and internet capable of accessing the virtual learning environment and Zoom, our online meeting place.  

How to apply

You must read the following guide to applying online below before starting your application. It will ensure that you are ready to proceed, as well as answer many common questions.

Do I have to apply online?

Yes, we are unable to accept your application by any other means than online.

Do I need to complete and submit the application in a single session? 

No. You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process. You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload additional documents such as your final transcript or your language test.

What documents do I need to provide to make an application?

As well as completing your online application fully, it is only possible to submit your application once you have uploaded the required documents: 

  1. A copy (or copies) of your primary medical qualification e.g. MBBS, BMBS, MBChB, MBBCh, MD
  2. Official English translations of your primary medical qualification, if the qualification is not in English
  3. A personal statement of motivation of roughly 1 side of A4 – this should outline why you are applying, how it fits into your medical career, making reference to past experiences, current role and future plans. Please keep it relevant to the course and avoid reiterating your CV.
  4. An up to date CV/Resume

It is only possible to submit your application once you have uploaded the required documents. 

Can I email my documents?

No. We cannot accept email submissions.

Guidance notes for using the online application

These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately, they are also available within the help section of the online application form. If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application then you should visit the Application Troubleshooting/FAQs page.

  • Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
  • Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
  • Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. 
  • Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. 
  • Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
  • Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. 

How to apply

Once you have all your supporting documentation, you can apply through our Online Application System.

We ask that you apply online for the Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene course. Our system allows you to fill out the standard application form online and submit this to the University within 42 days of starting your application.

If you have any questions, please contact our course administrator: Don Ross

Application deadlines 

For entry in September 2023:

  • Applications will open on 1st May and close on 31st July