Course details

Summary

The Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Health Care (PGDipPHC) is an interdisciplinary distance-taught programme for those engaged in the delivery of primary and integrated health care (e.g. medical, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, management).

The programme is designed to provide a deeper understanding of the structure, process and context of primary health care in New Zealand, an appreciation of cultural safety and the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration. The programme will enable participants to plan for, and evaluate future changes to the delivery of community-based primary health care and gain skills which can be oriented towards clinical practice, health delivery management, basic primary health care research or a combination of these.

Students usually complete the PGCertPHC (including PRHC701 and 30 points of other papers) before they undertake the PGDipPHC. Students then select a further 60 points of papers from a wide range of areas/topics relevant to primary care. At the completion of this qualification, graduates are eligible to apply to continue to the Master of Primary Health Care (MPHC).

Students are encouraged to seek course programme advice from the postgraduate coordinator or director at an early stage.

Programme Requirements

Unendorsed

• PRHC 701 New Zealand Primary Health Care (30 points) is compulsory.
• Papers totalling 90 points to be selected from elective papers listed in the schedule above and/or from other papers approved by the Board of Studies in Primary Health Care.

Endorsed in Long-Term Condition Management

• Papers to the value of 120 points: PRHC 701 New Zealand Primary Health Care (30 points), GENA 709 Long-term Condition Management (30 points) and GENA 711 Long-term Condition Management (Advanced) (30 points) are compulsory.

The remaining paper(s) totalling 30 points selected from

• GENA 704 Te Tūhauora: 毛利 Health,
• GENA 710 Mental Health and Illness in Primary Care,
• GENA 712 Mental Health and Illness in Primary Care,
• HASC 417 Health Sciences Research Methods,
• REHB 713 Goal Setting and the Therapeutic Relationship,
• REHB 714 Personal and Psychological Factors in Rehabilitation,
• and/or from other papers approved by the Board of Studies in Primary Health Care.

Entry criteria

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 a degree or diploma of a university, or
• hold an appropriate qualification approved by the Academic Board of the Otago Medical School, or
• have been admitted ad eundem statum as entitled to proceed to the diploma.

English Language Requirements: IELTS - Score of 6.5 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); Internet-based TOEFL Score of 95 with a minimum writing score of 22.; Paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 587 (TWE 4.5); Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); APIEL Advanced Placement International English Language Examination - Grade 4 or higher; Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic - Overall score of 64 with no communicative skills score below 57; University of Otago Foundation Studies Ltd: Completion of 'English for Postgraduate Academic Purposes' with a grade of C or higher.