The Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is awarded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries — one of the oldest medical examining bodies in the world. It is the recognised qualification for doctors working in tropical and international health settings, and it is a prerequisite or strong advantage for positions with MSF, WHO, CDC, and other global health organisations.
Until iatroX launched its DTM&H Q-bank, there was literally no commercial adaptive Q-bank for this exam. Candidates relied on textbooks, course notes, and past paper practice from university programmes. The content vacuum was total.
Exam Format
The DTM&H exam consists of multiple written papers sat in one day — MCQs, short-answer questions (SAQs), and an essay-style parasitology paper. The 2026 sitting is scheduled for Wednesday 27 May 2026 (online via the Apothecaries' approved platform). Application deadline: 10 March 2026. Fee: £570.
Candidates must have completed an approved DTM&H course before sitting the exam. Approved providers include the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), the University of Glasgow, and several international institutions.
The Cornerstone Topic: Malaria
Malaria is the single highest-yield topic in the DTM&H. You must know: the five Plasmodium species (P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, P. knowlesi) and their geographic distributions, the parasite lifecycle (mosquito and human stages — including the liver stage and hypnozoites for P. vivax/ovale), microscopy identification (thick and thin film — species-specific features), rapid diagnostic tests (HRP2 for P. falciparum, pLDH pan-malaria), treatment (artesunate IV for severe falciparum, ACTs for uncomplicated falciparum, chloroquine for vivax/ovale + primaquine for radical cure with G6PD testing), chemoprophylaxis (atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine — indications, contraindications, and durations), and severe malaria criteria (cerebral malaria, severe anaemia, hypoglycaemia, acidosis, renal failure, ARDS, hyperparasitaemia).
Other Key Topics
TB: Diagnosis (sputum microscopy, GeneXpert MTB/RIF, culture), treatment (2HRZE/4HR standard regimen), MDR-TB and XDR-TB management, TB/HIV co-infection, latent TB screening and treatment. HIV: Testing strategies, WHO staging, ART initiation and monitoring, opportunistic infections (PCP, cryptococcal meningitis, toxoplasmosis, CMV), PMTCT. Neglected tropical diseases: Leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, soil-transmitted helminths — lifecycle, diagnosis, treatment for each. Parasitology: Microscopy identification is heavily tested. Know the morphological features of major parasites on blood films and stool specimens. Entomology: Vector biology — Anopheles (malaria), Aedes (dengue, Zika, chikungunya), Phlebotomus (leishmaniasis), Glossina (trypanosomiasis), Simulium (onchocerciasis). Public health: Disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, WASH interventions, mass drug administration, vaccine programmes in resource-limited settings.
Study Strategy
Textbook: Manson's Tropical Diseases — the definitive reference. Dense. Read the chapters most relevant to your course and exam. Course notes: Your approved DTM&H course provides the structured curriculum. The exam tests the course content — do not over-extend into material not covered. iatroX DTM&H Q-Bank: 600+ adaptive questions covering all major DTM&H topics. The only dedicated adaptive Q-bank for this exam. The adaptive engine identifies your weakest topics — parasitology, pharmacology, public health — and concentrates practice there.
Who Should Sit DTM&H and Career Implications
The DTM&H is valuable for doctors planning to work in tropical or resource-limited settings (MSF, WHO, NGO clinical roles), those pursuing careers in infectious diseases, global health researchers, expedition medicine practitioners, and military medical officers. It demonstrates structured knowledge in tropical medicine that field experience alone does not validate.
Start at iatrox.com/boards — the only adaptive DTM&H Q-bank.