The training will take place from 31 March to 27 June 2025 at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg. It is a full-time, on-site programme for physicians who hold a medical degree (MD/MBBS or equivalent) from a medical school in any country and who are licensed to practise medicine in that country. Online participation is not possible. Please register here.

The BNITM in Hamburg is the ideal place to study DTM&H.

• The Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine is Germany's oldest institution of its kind, having been founded in 1900. The DTMH has been held here since 1905.
• You will be taught by experienced scientific and clinical experts from all departments of the BNITM and from many external national and international institutions.
• The outpatient clinic at the BNITM and the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf offer clinical training in tropical diseases.
• As a dynamic city, Hamburg offers a great deal of culture, leisure activities and plenty of water and green spaces.

Excellent conditions for combining learning and living. Come and have a ball in Hamburg next spring!

The Diploma Course will train physicians to work in countries of the tropics or subtropics. The course will enable participants to diagnose and treat diseases in travellers and migrants from the tropics and subtropics and to provide preventive medical travel-related advice.

The course focuses on the aetiology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of tropical diseases and clinical work in low-resource settings. It also covers travel medicine and principles of global health.

Curriculum:
This course will teach you the following knowledge and skills:
• Epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of tropical and travel associated diseases including bacterial, viral, mycotic and          parasitic infections and venomous animal accidents.
• Medical advice before travel and foreign assignments including prophylactic measures.
• Prinicples of public health in low and middle income countries.
• Principles of occupational health for travellers with long term stays.
• Indications, proper sample collection and handling for laboratory examinations and classification of the results in the             respective clinical profile.
• Microscopic detection of protozoa, worms and parasites.

Teaching Mode:
• Full-time on-site teaching
• Lectures
• Workshops
• Small-group work
• Self-study (with access to our German reference library for literature on tropical medicine at BNITM)
• Laboratory practicals, microscopy and clinical teaching

Academic requirements:
• The Course in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene is open to physicians who hold a medical degree (MD/MBBS or equivalent)        from a medical school in any country and who are licensed to practise medicine in that country.

All lectures will be given in English. You must have a good command of English to attend.

The assessment procedure is as follows:
• 80% class attendance
• At the end of the course, you will take a multiple-choice exam and a practical microscopy exam.
• To pass, you must achieve a total score of at least 60% in both exams.

• American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
• German Medical Association and the German Society for Tropical Medicine, Travel Medicine and Global Health (DTG) 
• German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer) 
  • Physicians practising in Germany receive approximately 500 CME points from the German Medical Association. The German Medical Association's education regulations state that this diploma is a prerequisite for acquiring the additional title of "Tropical Medicine". 
• The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries

Each year we work with over 120 lecturers from around the world to provide our participants with the specialists they deserve. We are still determining the speakers for 2025. In the meantime, please find an overview of lecturers in 2024 here.

Please check here for feedback from our students and lecturers.

A limited number of scholarships are available for physicians (MD/MBBS or equivalent) from LMICs. 

The scholarship includes the following benefits:

• The entire participation fee is waived.
• Return flight from the home country (booking via the BNITM).
• Support for living costs for the duration of the programme, with a monthly allowance of EUR 612.
• Free accommodation with one of our private landlords for the duration of the programm.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applicants must be resident in, and a national of, a LMIC (eligible countries)
• Applicants must hold a medical degree (MD/MBBS or equivalent) from a medical school in any country and are licensed to practise medicine in that country.
• This opportunity is open to applicants who are not currently employed at a BNITM partner institution (KNUST, KCCR, ISTH, CERMEL, Université d'Antananarivo Madagascar, VMMU, NIPH Kosovo, FIOCRUZ, FMT-HDV), who have not yet had a BNITM stay and who have not yet been funded by the Association of friends and supporters (Vereinigung der Freunde des Tropeninstituts Hamburg e. V. (VdF)).
• It is the responsibility of the applicant to cover the costs of health insurance, visa fees and additional living expenses.
• It is essential that you have access to a computer and the internet, which must be capable of accessing the virtual learning environment (free WiFi at BNITM).
• A good command of English is essential for participation. There is no requirement to provide proof of English language proficiency. Should your application be considered, you must be willing to participate in an oral interview conducted via Zoom. However, if your English language skills are inadequate, there is a high risk that you will not understand the course and fail the examination.

How to apply:

Applicants need to submit the following to dtmh@bnitm.de:

• Proof of medical qualification (MD/MBBS or equivalent) from a recognised medical school in any country and a license to practise medicine in that country (English translations of your primary medical qualification if the qualification is not in English.)
• Letter of motivation: In a maximum of 250 words, demonstrate why you will benefit from the DTMH qualification and how it will support the healthcare system in your home country.
• Copy of the passport.
• Current CV which must also include full contact details (address, phone number, email).

Closing date for scholarship applications:

• 31. October 2024 

The decisions will be confirmed within approximately two weeks of the deadline.

The course fee is:

The regular fee is €4,900.00, comprising a registration fee of €500.00 and the remaining amount of €4,400.00.
The fee for citizens of low- and middle-income countries is €3,900.00. Please refer to this map to see if your country is eligible.

You will receive an invoice by email. The registration fee must be paid immediately, and the remaining amount is due by 1 March of the respective course year. You will receive a confirmation of payment for the total amount at the end of the course.

The fee includes attendance and the exam. It does not cover travel expenses or costs for accommodation and subsistence.

Cancellation policy: If you cancel by 1 March of the respective course year, we will refund €200 of the registration fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations made after this date.

Registration Deadline: 31. December 2024 (Contact us directly after this date to see if we can still offer you a place.)

Accomodation: After payment of the registration fee, you will receive a list of potential landlords from us.

The approximate subsistence costs per month in Hamburg (including accommodation) are €1,500.00.

Visas: You must obtain a visa or other permissions to attend the course. Start the application process as soon as possible, as getting a visa for Germany can take time. The team can provide supporting documentation if requested, but you are responsible for obtaining any visa or other permissions.

Registration Form