Tropical Medicine Training in the Department of Defense

Abstract

OVERVIEW With increased emphasis by the Department of Defense (DoD) on stabilization of the peace, including medical stability operations, deployment to tropical environments will not decrease in the foreseeable future. Although every medical provider should have some training in the recognition of tropical diseases, a growing need exists for providers with advanced training in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these illnesses. Too often, all providers are incorrectly assumed to possess detailed knowledge about these conditions rarely seen in the continental United States. Tropical medicine practitioners must be knowledgeable in relevant aspects of infectious diseases, preventive medicine, parasitology, and entomology. They must be competent in the diagnosis of tropical diseases, including the application of laboratory and radiologic techniques in austere settings. Critically, they must understand the impact of tropical diseases on deployed military personnel and endemic communities alike. The DoD offers several courses in tropical medicine that vary in length, scope, detail, and target audience. Here we seek to increase awareness of the availability and scope of these courses. This list is not exhaustive and excludes locally produced courses and courses that focus on a single area of tropical medicine. The courses described herein include the Masters of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (MTM&H) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), the Masters of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Tropical Public Health (TPH) at USU, the Training in Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health Course at USU, courses within the U.S. Military Tropical Medicine (MTM) program, the Global Medicine Course, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) Tropical Medicine Course, the Military Medical Humanitarian Assistance Course (MMHAC), and the training program offered by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (AFHSC) and USU.