New Public Health Option for MBBS Students
Wednesday, 7 January 2009Students who have completed the first two years of the MBBS program will also be able to enrol in the 16-unit Master of Public Health (MPH) at the School of Population Health (SPH). Students with a professional interest in public health medicine will be able to complete this additional degree within one year, before returning to complete the final MBBS years.
The MPH equips students with the knowledge and competencies to contribute to disease and injury control, health management and policy and health promotion across a wide range of populations (including Indigenous peoples) and settings in Australia and globally.
SPH’s Associate Professor Fran Boyle said that an MPH gives MBBS graduates a wider perspective on and relevant new skills for additional career options in academia, research and public health, and can also provide a flying start into a career in Public Health Medicine.
“For example, medical students interested in paediatrics or obstetrics may wish to develop specialised knowledge in maternal child public health while those pursuing internal medicine, studying chronic diseases, lifestyle, or cancer prevention may prove advantageous,” said Associate Professor Boyle.
“Students interested in infectious diseases may benefit from studying communicable disease epidemiology, and those wanting a career in surgery, emergency medicine, patient safety and other fields, would enhance their knowledge through injury epidemiology and prevention.”
“Students also have an opportunity to undertake field research pertinent to a future speciality, and develop collaboration with pertinent sectors other than health.”
The School of Population Health is one of Australia’s leading centres for public health research and teaching in epidemiology, clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, injury prevention, tropical and international health, health systems, nutrition, burden of disease, and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Associate Professor Boyle said the MPH program is flexible both in its delivery and the courses available to students.
“Students can choose from a side range of elective courses and many are offered via distance or in intensive short blocks.”
Students undertaking the 16-unit Master of Public Health complete: (a) all four of the School of Population Health’s core foundation courses; and (b) four elective courses, including the option of a small research project. The core foundation courses are:
PUBH7600 Introduction to Epidemiology:
PUBH7630 Introduction to Biostatistics;
PUBH7614 Health Systems Organisation & Management;
PUBH7620 Social Perspectives in Population Health
Students who enter the program having completed the first two MBBS years are eligible for substituting one additional elective unit in lieu of PUBH7620 Social Perspectives in Population Health, based on work already completed.
For a full list of courses http://www.sph.uq.edu.au/students/course_list.asp <http://www.sph.uq.edu.au/students/course_list.asp>
The cost for this program in 2009 is $1580 for domestic students and $2650 for international students for each #2 unit course (indicative only).
For more information about the Master of Public Health: http://www.uq.edu.au/study/program.html?acad_prog=5415 <http://www.uq.edu.au/study/program.html?acad_prog=5415> or contact the Program Coordinator, Dr Maria Donald, m.donald@sph.uq.edu.au <mailto:m.donald@sph.uq.edu.au> ; tel. 3346 4795
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