Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

The Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) examination tests the knowledge of physicians who wish to practice medicine effectively in developing countries.

2023 fees and examination dates

Examination fee: £422
Application period: Monday 27 March 2023 - Sunday 16 April 2023
Examination date: Thursday 15 June 2023
Results release date: 10 August 2023.

Results will be distributed via email. Letters will not be sent by post, and results are not available over the telephone. Please email us at dtmh@rcp.ac.uk if you have not received your results by the end of the above working day.

All successful candidates will also receive a formal certificate of completion following results release.

How to apply

Candidates will be able to apply for the exam via an application button that will go live on this webpage when the application period opens. The application button will take you through to an application form via our online exam provider called Orzone. You may have to create an account on Orzone once applying for the exam. You will then be required to pay the full fee when applying.

Eligibility requirements

All candidates applying for the DTM&H must hold a primary medical qualification that is recognised by the RCP.

In addition, you must be able to provide evidence of proficiency in microscopy. This should be an in-person course which consists of a minimum of 12 hours of microscopy/practical parasitology teaching. This certification of proficiency in microscopy must have been awarded within the last five years.

The RCP reserves the right to verify a candidate’s primary medical qualification and/or microscopy certification with the awarding institution(s), and to refuse entry to the examination to candidates who do not meet the eligibility criteria set out above. Where candidates do not meet the entry requirements a full refund of any fees paid will be provided.

Examination structure

Two 50 question ‘best of five’ papers, designed to test the candidate’s knowledge of tropical medicine and hygiene over a wide area (1.5 hours per paper – 3 hours total)
A parasitology/entomology ‘short answer’ assessment (1.5 hours)
A preventive medicine ‘short essay’ assessment (1 hour).

All four assessments are delivered online via our software partner, Orzone. All four assessments are completed on the same day, with suitable breaks scheduled between each. Full details regarding what to expect on an exam day can be found in the Online Examination FAQ in the downloads section at the bottom of the page.

Once you have been confirmed eligible, our team will confirm the time you are required to sit each paper.

How to prepare

The levels of knowledge and skill required are those expected from someone who has had approximately 250 hours of teaching time on a good quality tropical medicine course. We encourage you to prepare well before applying to sit the examination.

A variety of universities and private providers offer courses to help people prepare for the DTM&H. The RCP does not accredit these courses, and the RCP does not recommend a specific preparation course. However, most DTM&H candidates complete one of the following courses, which include the required proficiency in microscopy:

If you wish to enter the DTM&H examinations and you have not completed one of the courses above in the past five years (or are in the process of doing so), you should contact the RCP Assessment Unit via dtmh@rcp.ac.uk for advice about the knowledge and preparedness the examinations assume.

You should be aware that you are only permitted a maximum of six attempts at the DTM&H. After six attempts, you will be required to undertake additional educational experience for each re-sit and submit evidence of this before applying.