Conflict & Catastrophe Medicine
Empowering the next generation of humanitarian medics
About the course
The diploma course in Conflict and Catastrophe Medicine (CCM) provides postgraduate medics, nurses and allied health professionals with the relevant knowledge and practical skills to work effectively in the disaster environment.
Topics range from aspects of medical and clinical care, public and environmental health to wider contextual issues such as bridging humanitarian health and health development, and the changing direction of humanitarian aid.
- 45+ unique sessions delivered by 30+ lecturers, military and humanitarian leaders in their field
- 2 years access to lectures, recordings, slides and online learning resources
- 50+ hours of teaching, including 20+ delivered remotely via Zoom
- Exclusive access to a networking community of key contacts in the field of Conflict and Catastrophe Medicine
Taught at postgraduate level, the course aims to equip students with the knowledge to work effectively in disaster environments and humanitarian emergencies.
The course is open to postgraduate medics, nurses, pharmacists or allied health professionals looking to take the next step in their career, whether it be towards deployment work in humanitarian emergencies or in response to domestic disasters or acts of terrorism.
The course is designed to augment your qualifications and expertise with the relevant core skills required to support interventions such as a needs assessment, surveillance and reporting systems, and common health and disease issues.
From the point of enrolment, students are engaged in an active community of likeminded health professionals to foster social and intellectual connections with peers and recent alumni, committed to your professional development, to access mentorship opportunities and career advice.
What our students and lecturers say
"We are passionate about training the next generation of humanitarian medical responders. The course offers the foundational knowledge to prepare you before embarking on a career in humanitarian response, and provides the opportunity to engage with experts in the field of humanitarian medicine"
"In my view, this course is essential for anyone who is thinking of working in the humanitarian sector in order to mitigate against the risk
of moral injury to themself."
"The first-hand accounts from
practitioners in the field across a wide range of issues, topics and themes. It is most invaluable."
Course timetable
The current course takes place on 11 Saturdays from September 2025 to July 2026, delivered online and in-person at Apothecaries’ Hall in London.
The 2026/27 Course will take place on 11 Saturdays from October 2026 to July 2027.
Click here to view the full 2025-26 Programme
The content for 2026/27 will be broadly similar, although course dates are yet to be confirmed. A full programme will be released by early Summer.
If you'd like to get a taste of the course, why not sign up to attend our Panel Showcase Day on the History of Human Rights, on Saturday 25 July 2026 at Apothecaries' Hall. Click the button below to find out more.
September
- Welcome to the Course and the Faculty
- Key Stakeholders and Definitions
- The Impact of War on Health
- Needs Assessments
- Ukraine, Türkiye and Syria
- The Flowerland Scenario Part 1
October
- Communicable Diseases
- Challenges to Vaccination Programmes: Opportunities and Solutions
- Maternal Health
- Gender and Sexual-based Violence
- Clinical Session on Providing Care for GSBV Victims
November
- Mass Gatherings
- Mass Casualties
- Mass Evacuation: Afghanistan
- Medicines Supply: Who? What? Where? When?
- Reflections from Nagasaki - Nuclear Weapons today
December
- Leadership and Resilience
- Principles of Pain Management
- Ebola in West Africa
January
- Climate Change and Humanitarianism
- Venomous and Poisonous Animals and Plants
- Humanitarian Standards
- Epidemiology of Disasters
- Disease Surveillance
February
- Disaster Risk Reduction
- Refugee Health
- International Humnaitarian Law and Ethics
- Civilian-Military Coordination
- Surgery in Conflict Zones
March
- Maternal and Neonatal Health
- Child Health
- Non-Communicable Diseases
April
- Factors Affecting Humanitarian Aid
- CBRNE
- Dealing with the Media
- Syria: Attcaks on Healthcare Workers
- Distress and Disorders: People’s Psychosocial Needs after Emergencies, Major Incidents, High Consequence Infectious Diseases and Terrorism
- The DMCC Examination
May
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Flowerland parts 2 & 3
June
- Nutrition in Conflict and Catastrophe
- Disability
- Safeguarding Children in Conflict
- Protecting the Health of Responders
- Developmnets and Health
July
- Moral Injury
- Panel Discussion
- Gaza: First-hand Experience
- Final Quiz
How to apply
Applications for the 2025-26 course operating on a rolling basis until 30 April 2026, providing 2 years of access to course materials from your date of enrolment. You can start any time that suits you.
Applications for 2026/27 (to start in September 2026) will open at 09:00, Friday 30 January 2026.
Payment is made online via our website. You will then gain access to our online learning platform to complete your registration form and view your learning materials.
Email us for more details. Terms and Conditions apply.
- Full price: £1,125
- Drop-in price: £105 per day
Please Note: We can accept this payment in two interest-free instalments, the second instalment payable on or before the first course day.
Contact Matthew Scudder at AcademicTraining@apothecaries.org or on 020 7236 1180 (x-212) for more details.
Diploma in Medicine in Conflict & Catastrophe (DMCC)
If you want to continue your journey into conflict & catastrophe medicine after completing this course, you may wish to consider the Diploma in Medicine in Conflict & Catastrophe (DMCC).
The DMCC is intended to prepare personnel to deploy on humanitarian operations in difficult conditions as independent practitioners.
A postgraduate professional award, the DMCC is given after following the Conflict and Catastrophe Medicine Course and passing a written and an oral examination.
Contact
Academic Department
Centre for Health Studies, Apothecaries' Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ
e-mail: AcademicTraining@apothecaries.org
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