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tropical medicine

A program that prepares clinicians to prevent and control vector-borne and tropical infectious diseases. Includes instruction in microbiology, parasitology, mycology, virology, vector biology, vaccinology, laboratory diagnosis, travelers’ health, epidemiology, and disease management. Examples: [Diploma in Tropical Medicine], [Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Public Health], [Master of Tropical Medicine (MTM)], [Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health], [Graduate Certificate in Tropical Medicine], [Tropical Medicine and Global Health]

What tropical medicine Majors Need to Know

Studies in tropical medicine develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that tropical medicine graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in tropical medicine emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a tropical medicine program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to tropical medicine careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, tropical medicine graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by tropical medicine professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Dental software	Medical software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Material safety data sheet MSDS software	Compliance software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
Electronic health record EHR software	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for tropical medicine graduates include:

• Veterinary Medicine Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Clinical Laboratory Science Professor
• Neurological Surgery Teacher
• Histology Teacher
• Medical Assistant Instructor
• Hearing Therapy Teacher
• Educational Therapy Teacher
• Clinical Assistant Professor
• Pathology Teacher
• Dental Assistant Teacher
• Neurosurgery Professor
• Health Diagnostics Teacher
• Gericare Aide Teacher
• Occupational Therapy Aides Teacher

What Can You Do With a tropical medicine Degree?

Graduates with a degree in tropical medicine commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	8.9%	$111,314	$90,148–$132,479

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to tropical medicine graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	34.9%
Doctoral degree	25.9%
Post-doctoral training	19.6%
Bachelor’s degree	12.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.2%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do tropical medicine Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of tropical medicine graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$160,729
4 years	$166,630
5 years	$197,894

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $197,894 — roughly 23% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in tropical medicine Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, tropical medicine graduates earn a median of $166,630 four years after completion — roughly 338% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies	1,163
Medical Science/Scientist	1,047
Clinical and Translational Science	79
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies, Other	33
Temporomandibular Disorders and Orofacial Pain	4
Pain Management	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.