*** Application form ***

(application is open from September until reaching the quota)

*** Register interest ***

(Open all year)

Course overview

A 2-week practical clinical and public health tropical medicine course in the Philippines comprising bedside teaching, laboratory practical’s, lectures, discussion and community fieldwork. Intake quota is limited to 32 students with priority given to current or graduated DTM&H students.

Aims & objectives

The course aims to improve skills in diagnosis, management and prevention of diseases in tropical countries where resources may be limited. Specific objectives include to:

• Gain clinical exposure, discuss diagnosis and management at different levels of the healthcare system
• Learn about the public health system and disease control programmes
• Discuss clinical and global health issues with a diverse international group of students and faculties

The course is linked with the Master of Tropical Medicine (MTM) and the Professional Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) courses at the School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health (TMGH) at Nagasaki University. The Philippines Tropical Medicine course runs immediately after the DTM&H course.

Contents and Location

Week 1	In Manila	Bedside teaching (infectious diseases, tropical dermatology) Clinical lectures Urban primary care
Week 2	In Leyte	Bedside teaching Schistosomiasis disease control Rural primary care Response to natural disasters

Eligibility

• 【Pre-requisites】
  • Medical doctors with 2 or more years of work experience.
  • Preference given to doctors intending to work in Asia who have completed the DTM&H course.
• 【English language requirements】
  • As the course is taught fully in English, students should have good English language ability, but it does not have to be perfect. The course provides a good opportunity to improve your medical English.

Location/accommodation

• The course is run in 2 weeks.
• The first week is held in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. Students are to stay in accommodations in Manila and to be driven to learning sites on chartered vehicles.
• The second week is held on the remote island of Leyte, a two-hour flight from Manila. Students are to stay in accommodations in Tacloban, the central city of Leyte, and to be driven to learning sites on chartered vehicles.
• PTMC organizing team will share a list of recommended accommodations in each city.

Course dates

Year of 2025	From June 16 to June 27
Year of 2026	From June 15 to June 26

Intake Quota

32 students

Tuition fees

All applicants	200,000 JPY

• In addition to the tuition fee, students need to organise and pay for the following items:
  1. Flights
  2. Accommodation in Manila and Tacloban
  3. Meals
  4. Travel insurance
  5. Vaccinations as recommended separately
  6. Visa fees (as required)

Payment deadline of the tuition fee

The end of February or within two weeks of receiving an offer letter.

How to apply

• 【Apply to the course】
  • The application form opens in September until reaching the quota.
• 【Register interest】
  • Register interest in future Nagasaki University tropical medicine courses here
    *Be careful: registering interest will never be automatically switched to application

Visas

Students are responsible for obtaining any visa or other permissions to attend the course and are encouraged to start the application process as early as possible. The course administration can provide supporting documentation if requested.

Linked courses

Master of Tropical Medicine (MTM)

A one-year master course that starts in October each year and includes the DTM&H.

Professional Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H)

An 11-week full-time tropical medicine course. Students attend the course in-person in Nagasaki, Japan.

Certificate in Tropical Medicine (CTM)

A 6-month part-time online course to teach doctors key concepts of diseases that are especially prevalent in tropical and resource limited regions. Students can access lecture recordings and other materials in their own time through the online learning system according to their preference. The course includes most of the didactic sessions from the DTM&H course but does not include laboratory practicals or interactive clinical case discussions. Assessment is with an online multiple choice exam.

Key differences of the tropical medicine-related short courses

	Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H)	Certificate in Tropical Medicine (CTM)	Philippines Tropical Medicine Course
Location	Nagasaki	Online	Philippines
Intensity	Full time	Part time	Full time
Duration	11 weeks	6 months	2 weeks
Certificate conferred	Professional Diploma	Certificate	Certificate

Contact

Issues specific to this course Direct contact to the course management team	dtmh.nagasaki@gmail.com
Issues general to TMGH courses Contact to TMGH administrative office	https://www.tmgh.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/en/contact_us

Photos from previous courses

Student testimonials

“The course is a great opportunity to enter a health system situated in a tropical region which is developing a universal health coverage improving local and tertiary level hospitals”

“Wonderful experience!”

“Totally recommended experience, especially after DTM&H course. Useful to consolidate information learned theoretically during the course, seeing real life scenarios. Useful clinical case discussion during the rotations.”

“Very thought-provoking.I was impressed by all things I met during this course.”

“Very intense comprehensive course, the experience of visiting DOH facility in Manila to BHS in rural Leyte was super valuable.”

“Overall, it was a great experience. Learning and having fun at the same time. Exposure to cases and communities specially in a resource limited setting made us reflect on these situations and taught us how to manage patients in times like this. The course taught us a lot in terms of recognizing and management of some tropical disease illness. It also showed us the difference in management if you come from a resource limited setting vs a setting where resources are enough.”

“The Philippines Tropical Medicine Course exceeded my expectations. It was such a good opportunity to put what I’d learned in the DTM&H into practice, a chance to meet new doctors from around the world, and a really fun two weeks in the Philippnes – highly recommended!!”

“Thank you very much to the organizers! We had a great time while learning . It opened our eyes and inspired us to continue what we do best there is so much to be done we may just be little but we can do big things if we pull it up together let’s make a difference and ensure the world to make a better place to live in thank you very much!”