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Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health

The Wits School of Public Health offers a Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health (PG DOH) over two years. The next intake is for the year 2022. Applications open on 1^st March and close on 30^thSeptember.

Who qualifies to study the PG DOH?

The diploma is for medical doctors in possession of an MBChB, MBBCh or equivalent qualification acceptable to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for registration as an independent medical practitioner in South Africa. The incumbent should be someone who works or intends to work in occupational health in the public or private sector. Students who complete the programme will have the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to work as occupational medicine practitioners.

Applications

The postgraduate office handles applications, i.e. issuing of application forms and liaising with applicants about progress thereof. You may also apply online, using following the link: https://www.wits.ac.za/applications

Required documents

Written motivation, indicating why you have selected the PG DOH
Letters from two referees
Degree certificates and academic transcripts
SAQA letter (international students)
Current Curriculum Vitae

Registration

Each student is required to contact the postgraduate office with regard to registration after being accepted into the PG DOH programme.

Course Structure

Respiratory, ENT, skin, neurological and psychosocial conditions
Musculo-skeletal, reproductive, renal, hepatic and haemopoietic systems
Chest radiology, audiometry, lung function, allergy and neuro-behavioural testing
Disability assessment, rehabilitation, and commonly occurring occupational diseases in South Africa
The aetiology, diagnosis, prevention, screening, reporting and further management of these conditions

Industrial relations applied to health and safety
Health and safety legislation, policy and programmes (e.g. HIV/AIDS at work)
Worker participation
Environmental policy and impacts
Occupational health services, including design and management of workplace health services
Medical surveillance and biological monitoring
Ethical issues relating to industrial relations and the role of the occupational health service provider
Compensation issues

This course covers basic principles of epidemiology, including study design, measures of occurrence, measures of effect, bias and validity issues, confounding, effect measure modification, causality, and critical appraisal of the literature. These are applied to exposure assessment, health assessment, and occupational health services issues as a guide to designing studies. Measurement of the burden of disease is also included.

Additional components

Much of the programme is participant-driven, requiring studying of selected reading material before each block. Self-learning and self-study are important aspects of all courses. Inter-block assignments include:

Identification and description of a workplace of your choice
Conducting a health risk assessment
Identification of a relevant risk, and literature search
Management of specific occupational diseases

During each course, the students will visit a work place (mine, foundry, etc.) to gain practical experience and familiarise themselves with processes in various industries. This experiential learning will comprise a practical (hands-on) systematic approach to managing an occupational health issue and an opportunity to interact with management and workers in a variety of workplaces.