UPNG’s school of medicine and health sciences offers study programmes

 THE University of Papua New Guinea has two campuses – one is the Waigani Campus and the other is the Taurama Campus, which houses the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and is located next to Port Moresby General Hospital. 

It has a full range of facilities to train well qualified medical doctors. 

The School of Medicine and Health Sciences has seven divisions that are headed by a chair person. 

The disciplines are:

• Clinical sciences;
• basic medical sciences;
• pathology;
• public health;
• health sciences;
• dentistry; and,
• Nursing.

Entry requirements

Students with grade point averages (GPAs) well above 2.00 qualify to enter the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. 

Only the top 5% of the class are selected as very high level of performance is required of students to progress in yet another academic year.  

To apply, a student must first be admitted to the School of Natural and Physical Sciences at Waigani campus. 

Upon completing foundation year at the Waigani campus, a student can apply to do medicine and all other degree and diploma courses, except nursing. 

Normally students will do this by completing Grade 12 and choosing “UPNG Science” on their school leaver form. 

A pharmacy candidate must have studied chemistry and biology at Grade 12 or a medical imaging technology student must have studied physics and biology at Grade 12.

Candidates applying can be Papua New Guinean, Pacific Islanders or other eligible expatriates. Provincial admission is granted to candidates who have not matriculated but in very special circumstances.

Nurses who have done their basic training and have a minimum of three years working experience can apply to do either a diploma or nursing degree.

In medicine, students are trained to become qualified doctors and those who chose to study health sciences are equipped with skills to be experts in other areas of the health profession.

Degree courses are provided in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, medical laboratory sciences, medical imaging sciences and medical science and diploma courses in dental technology, anesthetic science and community health.

These are the following programmes offered in the undergraduate and post graduate level:

• Bachelor degree in medicine and surgery;
• diploma in community health;
• diploma in dental technology;
• bachelor degree in pharmacy;
• bachelor of nursing (general);
• bachelor of nursing (clinical);
• postgraduate clinical diploma;
• postgraduate masters in medicine; and,
• Higher postgraduate diploma.

• Next issue: We give you details on the different programmes.