ASTMH approves Saint James School of Medicine tropical medicine diploma

Saint James School of Medicine’s Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Public Health has been added to the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s list of approved courses. The recognition gives SJSM graduates a pathway to the CTropMed® credential and places the school alongside major medical institutions worldwide.

Why it matters: - The ASTMH approval gives Saint James School of Medicine students a recognized route to the Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health, or CTropMed®. - The listing places SJSM alongside institutions such as Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Tulane University and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine on ASTMH’s approved course directory. - The recognition can strengthen credentialing options for physicians and other health professionals training in tropical medicine.

What happened: - Saint James School of Medicine announced that its Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Public Health has been formally recognized by ASTMH as an approved Diploma Course. - The course meets requirements for the CTropMed® certificate and is now listed on ASTMH’s official directory of approved Diploma Courses. - The announcement was made Aug. 11, 2026.

The details: - SJSM’s program uses a hybrid model with an online curriculum and a four-week in-person practicum in Suriname. - The online portion covers the full CTropMed® Examination Content Outline. - The in-person portion includes about 40 hours of hands-on laboratory training in malaria diagnosis, stool parasitology, dermatology diagnostics and arbovirus serology at teaching hospitals in Paramaribo. - Students then complete a week of field immersion in Medical Mission clinics serving indigenous Amerindian and Maroon communities in Suriname’s Amazon rainforest interior. - Graduates who complete the program can sit for the ASTMH CTropMed® Certificate of Knowledge Examination. - The course is directed by Stephen Vreden, MD, PhD, and Soenita Nannan Panday-Gopising, MD. - Faculty and senior laboratory scientists from Suriname’s Centraal Laboratorium, Bureau of Public Health, Malaria Programma, Medische Zending and Dermatology Service contribute to the program. - The program is open to MDs, senior medical students who have completed core clinical rotations, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and public health professionals. - The diploma also counts as a clinical elective rotation toward the SJSM MD degree.

Between the lines: - ASTMH approval signals that SJSM’s curriculum and clinical training met external standards in a specialized medical field. - The Suriname practicum is a key differentiator because it combines laboratory work with direct exposure to tropical disease care in a resource-limited setting. - SJSM is using the approval to position the diploma as both a training program and a credentialing pathway for a broader group of health professionals.

What's next: - SJSM says the four-week in-person component will continue to count toward the clinical tropical medicine experience required for CTropMed® eligibility. - Interested applicants can learn more at more information or by emailing tropicalmedicine@mail.sjsm.org. - SJSM will continue offering the diploma as part of its Caribbean medical education programs.

The bottom line: - ASTMH approval elevates SJSM’s tropical medicine diploma into a recognized credentialing track and expands its visibility among established global medical programs.