What does studying tropical medicine entail?
Tropical medicine is an area of medicine which delves into the health problems which occur in tropical or subtropical regions of the world. Often, this includes a large medical component examining the types of infectious diseases that arise in these areas, e.g. malaria, dengue fever, polio, hookworm, cholera and leprosy. Additionally, there will be an examination of how and why diseases arise, how they become endemic and how we can control or eliminate them. Finally, there are often components which look at sanitation, hygiene, geography and diet in relation to the public health aspects of tropical medicine.
- What are the types of subjects I might study?
Subjects can be very diverse! There are medically-focused subjects such as microbiology, infectious diseases, eye diseases and parasitology. There are also subjects which look at health policy & planning and infectious disease & demography.
- At what levels can this be studied?
Study in tropical medicine can be pursued at many levels - as a short course, a diploma, a masters or a PhD. For more information on these forms of study, please see previous links.
There are many places and institutions where you can undertake public health studies or research.
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- Who undertakes these studies?
Many professionals and students may pursue study within tropical medicine with a vested interest in working within tropical regions in the future. Prior experience and professional backgrounds will vary - often there are many medical and health professionals interested in this type of study, however epidemiologists, economists and project coordinators will pursue these courses too.
- What future practice & opportunities are available upon completion?
There are a multitude of opportunities available after completing study in tropical medicine. Many may choose to pursue clinical medicine in a tropical setting, whilst others may be involved in research or epidemiology of tropical health issues. Finally, some may choose to become involved in policy and public health focused in this area.
- Examples of further study courses in this field?
James Cook University (Townsville, Australia) - School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences - http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/sphtm
London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (London, UK) - http://www.lshtm.ac.uk
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