Brief History of the UPNG School SMHS
The school of Medicine and Health Sciences is a significant contributor to the health work force needs and health knowledge of the country. As an institution, it has an illustrious heritage of training Papua New Guinean doctors, nurses, and allied health workers.
In 1960s, the Papuan Medical College was established at Taurama as the first health workers training institute, and then became the Faculty of Medicine in the 1990s. Over the years, the faculty mandate continued to develop, and the health worker training scope expanded, with the eventual amalgamation within the Faculty of Health Sciences. In 2001, in line with the University of Papua New Guinea restructure, the faculty emerged as the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMSH).
The SHMS provides a comprehensive learning environment that emphasizes growth in knowledge, expertise, and ethical practice relevant to building a healthy and robust society. Academic endeavor spans clinical Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences, Pathology, Public Health, Dentistry, Nursing, and the Health Sciences of Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory, and Medical Imaging Sciences.
The SMHS will crease its intake of medical students and other categories of health workers over the next 10 years with special emphasis on rural and provincial parts of the country. The School will continue to develop its strategic role within Papua New Guinea through the expansion of satellite clinical schools, such as the Goroka Clinical School, Rural Clinical Schools, as Kompiam in Enga Province, and including research and research education.
Undergraduate Programs
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
Bachelor of Medical Science
- The Bachelor of medical Science (B.Med.Sci) Program is a year-long program in any discipline in the “Basic Medical Sciences, Pathology, Clinical Sciences and Public Health Divisions”. The program is part of MBBS program and only students who have successfully completed the third year of the MBBS program are eligible to apply. A GPA of at least 3.0 is a requirement for entry into the B.Med.Sci program. The program design varies amongst the different disciplines, but generally entails course work (from the existing courses of SMHS) and a research component in the subject area. The assessment of the program varies amongst disciplines, but involves “Written, Practical, Oral, and Thesis presentations”.
Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm)
Bachelor of Medical Imagining Science (BMIS)
Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLS)
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)
Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH)
Diploma of General Nursing
Bachelor of Clinical Nursing (BCN)
- Bachelor of Clinical Nursing (Child Health)
- Bachelor of Clinical Nursing Critical Care (Emergency Nursing)
- Bachelor of Clinical Nursing (Intensive Care Nursing)
- Bachelor of Clinical Nursing (Perioperative)
- Bachelor of Clinical Nursing (Mental Health)
- Bachelor of Clinical Nursing (Midwifery)
Bachelor of Nursing (BN)
- Bachelor of Nursing Management & Education
- Bachelor of Nursing Community Health
Diploma in Dental Technology (Dip.DT)
Diploma in Anesthetic Science (DAS)
Post Graduate Programs
- Postgraduate Diploma in Anesthesiology
- Postgraduate Diploma in Child Health
- Postgraduate Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Postgraduate Diploma in Ophthalmology
- Postgraduate Diploma in Otorhinolaryngology
- Postgraduate Diploma in Dentistry
- Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health
Master of Medicine Programs
- Master of Medicine in Anesthesiology
- Master of Medicine in Child Health
- Master of Medicine in Dermatology
- Master of Medicine in Emergency Medicine
- Master of Medicine Internal Medicine
- Master of Medicine in Medical Imaging
- Master of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Master of ophthalmology
- Master of Otorhinolaryngology
- Master of Pathology
- Master of Psychiatry
- Master of Rural Medicine
- Master of Surgery
- Master of Dental Surgery
- Master of Public Health
- Master of Medical Science (By Research)
- Master of Pharmacy (By Research)
Higher Postgraduate Diploma in Laboratory & Clinical Subspecialties
- Orthopedics Surgery
- Pediatric Surgery
- Urology
- Head, Neck, and Plastic Surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Cardiothoracic Anesthesia
Research Consultancy
The school also houses research centers such as the Medical Science Research Center, the Snake Antivenin Research Unit, the Traditional Medical Database Unit, the Molecular Bio discovery and Biomedicines Laboratory, the Micronutrient Laboratory and the Natural Products and Chemical Analysis Laboratory.
The staff of the school are involved in carrying out research in collaboration with national and international organizations and in providing consultancy services to various medical and health organizations and the National Department of Health, Government of Papua New Guinea.
Contact Details
The Executive Officer
School of Medical and Health Sciences
UPNG-Taurama Campus
P.O.BOX 5623, BOROKO, NCD, PNG
Phone: 3112626
Email: smh@upng.ac.pg
Website: www.upng.ac.pg