Occupational Medicine

Entry requirements

Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) on the advice of the Academic Board of the Otago Medical School, which must be satisfied that the applicant has the ability and experience to proceed to the programme.

Every applicant shall have been admitted to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of a university in New Zealand or hold an equivalent medical qualification approved by the Academic Board of the Otago Medical School.

If your first language is not English you need to meet our English language requirements as follows: IELTS score of 6.5 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); we also accept a number of other English language tests. Due to COVID-19, we currently accept Duolingo English Test (DET), IELTS Indicator Test, and TOEFL iBT Special home Edition.

Don’t meet the English language requirements? The University of Otago Language Centre "English for Otago" programme offers a pathway for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students to meet the English language requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

Months of entry

February, July

Course content

The Postgraduate Certificate in Occupational Medicine (PGCertOccMed) is a one-year, part-time, distance-taught programme that provides core competencies for medical practitioners who provide occupational health services at a non-specialist level. It is particularly suitable for General Practitioners, Family Doctors, Internal Medicine Specialists, Neurologists etc. who consult on health and wellbeing and the workplace.

At the completion of this qualification, graduates are able to continue to the Postgraduate Diploma, Masters, and PhD level of study.

Occupational medicine practice encompasses the full breadth of clinical medicine, but also requires practitioners to be highly competent in a range of other specialist areas of practice. Managing the health of workers requires not only a good understanding of the hazards that affect the health of workers, and the effect that worker’s health status has on work ability, but also their clinical and operational significance. This requires a good understanding of how to assess the scientific literature and its meaning in terms of application.

Papers

Two papers in Occupational Medicine:

• AVME 715 Health, Work and Behaviour
• AVME 716 Clinical Occupational Medicine

Information for international students

Otago offers students an unrivalled campus experience and a vibrant, social student culture. The majority of Otago’s 21,000 students live, work and play in Dunedin - New Zealand’s only true university city. Otago is home to over 3,000 students, from over 100 countries.

Fees and funding