About the course

You need to have:

  1. A degree in Medicine (MBBS or equivalent) from a medical school recognised by the Medical Council where you studied medicine.
     
  2. A minimum of two years clinical experience working as a medical doctor (excluding mandatory internship).

We will prioritise your application if you have worked in or intend to work in resource-constrained or complex humanitarian settings.

GHHM is divided into two groups, organised by the MSF UK and MSF South Asia offices.

Candidates residing in the following regions should apply to MSF UK:

  • Africa
  • Europe
  • and the Americas. 

Candidates residing in the following regions should apply to MSF South Asia:

  • Asia
  • Oceania

Places are not allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.   

A scoring system is used to grade each application. Higher scores will be given to applicants with experience of working in resource-constrained or complex humanitarian settings. A panel of academicians, clinicians, and humanitarian aid professionals then review each application and make the final decision on which candidates are to be offered a place on the GHHM course.

The course is designed only for medical doctors.

The course is open to all medical doctors, irrespective of their workplace.  

The GHHM course is highly demanding and there is a strict attendance requirement.

If you're undertaking any other academic courses or have other pressing professional commitments, we encourage you to defer your application for GHHM.  

The course is organised through the MSF UK office in London and MSF South Asia office in Colombo. GHHM is a fully online course.

MSF-UK collects your personal data on this form for the sole purpose of administering the Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine Course.

The data is processed under Article 6(1)(b) (performance of a contract) of the General Data Protection Regulation.

It is shared only with the academic institutions providing the course.

If unsuccessful in your application, we will securely retain your data for one calendar year.

If successful in your application we will securely retain your data for five years following your completion of the course, and after this will retain only basic contact information in order to maintain records of the course.

You have a right to object to the processing of your data, and to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office should you feel our processing of your personal data is not compliant with the law.

For full details of MSF UK’s Privacy Policy, and how to contact us, please see our Privacy Notice.

Funding

There is no application fee for GHHM. Depending on demand, in-person microscopy and parasitology training may be offered. If students choose to attend an in-person lab course, they are expected to pay for their own visa (if applicable), travel and accommodation. An online alternative is offered which is accepted by the examining bodies– attending an in-person lab course is optional.

The GHHM course fee does not include the cost of a post course exam such as the Diploma in Global Health or the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

No, there is no payback period associated with GHHM and you do not need to work with MSF once you have completed the course. However, if you are an MSF-funded student, please discuss this with your OC.

Once you have received an offer of a place on the GHHM course we can discuss payment options with you.

There are options to make one full payment or pay your course fees in instalments. If you decide to pay your course fees in instalments payments must be complete by the end of the calendar year.  

Course structure

GHHM is a 10-month course that starts in September and ends in June. 

The weekly seminars run from:

  • 18:00-20:00 GMT every Tuesday (for the GHHM UK course)
  • 16:00 to 18:00 IST every Thursday (for the GHHM SA course)

You will be required to dedicate approximately two-and-a half hours every week to the online lecture webinar and a further 6-8 hours for self-directed learning and group activities.

Yes, on successful completion of the course GHHM will provide a certificate of completion.

The minimum requirement for course completion is:

  1. 70% attendance in the weekly webinars
  2. contribution to 70% of the online group activities
  3. completion of mock exam
  4. participation in the (minimum) 12 hours of basic microscopy and parasitology training (either online or in-person)

We understand that you have existing work commitments and if you foresee yourself struggling to meet the attendance requirements, we ask that you let us know so that we can support you as much as possible.

Like all part-time courses, enrolment to the GHHM course requires consistent effort and time, along with your other professional and personal commitments.

You should proactively schedule six to eight hours per week across the length of the course to complete GHHM course requirements. This will include:   

  • Preparation for and participating in weekly lectures.  
  • Contributing to online moderated classes as part of a group of students.  
  • Completing weekly activities (group learning) and quizzes.
  • Self-directed learning.  

For each online activity, there will be a deadline for completion; you will have to discuss with your group and complete that activity before the deadline.

Your contribution to the group activity is marked as attendance.  

Examination

We recommend the Diploma in Global Health, offered by The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) as an excellent and highly relevant qualification to attempt on completion of GHHM. The exam has been developed collaboratively by MSF and RCP and is based on the GHHM curriculum. GHHM also prepares students for the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

GHHM Alumni Network

After completing GHHM you will be invited to join the GHHM Alumni Network. Here you can stay connected to your classmates and make new connections with other former GHHM students and lecturers.

By joining the Alumni Network, you have an opportunity to join a diverse and dynamic professional network of medical doctors from a wide variety of medical specialities and clinical experience across the world.

Apart from networking, the Alumni Network offers access to mentoring opportunities, news, events and learning resources.

Membership of the GHHM Alumni Network is free of charge.