The programme focuses on the diagnosis, management and control of the most prevalent diseases in developing countries; the course has particular reference to high burden diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhoea; emphasis is also given to the development of research skills applicable to a wide range of problems in clinical and epidemiological settings and participants complete a short project overseas; study location depends on the nature of the project and the participant's interest, for instance: Brazil, Ethiopia, Yemen, Nepal or Nigeria; students prepare, conduct, analyse and write up a research project related to a topic in tropical or infectious diseases; gain knowledge of range of laboratory skills useful in diagnosis and management of infectious and parasitic diseases; and use and evaluate tools, including epidemiology and statistics, for the identification of major medical problems in tropical settings.