AFRO-NETS> Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Informatics

[Maurice Mars <MARS@nu.ac.za>]

Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Informatics
-------------------------------------------

General

This is the first announcement of a new post-graduate program in 
medical informatics being offered at the Nelson R Mandela Medical 
School, University of Natal in Durban, South Africa. The program has 
been developed in collaboration with the International Training in 
Medical Informatics program at Tufts-New England Medical Centre in 
Boston (USA) with funding from the National Institutes of Health in 
the USA. The program will begin in mid January 2003. Qualifications 
offered will be a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Informatics (64 
credits, one semester), a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Informatics 
(128 credits, two semesters) and a Master of Medical Science in Medi-
cal Informatics (completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Medical 
Informatics and a dissertation). 

Aims of the program

The program aims to provide graduate training in medical informatics 
to biomedical and allied health sciences professional from sub-
Saharan Africa. The primary goal of the program will be on building 
medical informatics capacity to assist in meeting the public health 
challenges facing the continent of Africa. In particular the program 
aims to foster medical informatics research relevant to Africa.

Themes in the program

There are two theme tracks within the program: medical informatics 
and telemedicine. Only the medical informatics track will be offered 
in the academic year 2003.

Structure of the program

The academic year is divided into two semesters (summer and winter). 
64 credits are of offer each semester. The program will be taught a 
summer school and winter school basis to allow busy professionals to 
continue with their job commitments. Each semester will have an in-
tensive 4 week period of face-to-face contact in Durban followed by 
about 6 weeks of home-based study before students return to Durban 
for a week of further face-to-face teaching. 

Requirements for entry into the program

All students must have a minimum of a four year bachelor's degree, or 
a professional bachelor's degree. Candidates will be expected to dem-
onstrate competency in the use of basic aspects of information tech-
nology such email and the Internet and the use of word processing and 
spreadsheet software. Faculty

The program faculty will be primarily drawn from the University of 
Natal, Tufts-University School of Medicine, Harvard University School 
of Medicine, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (all in 
Boston, USA). Additional faculty will be drawn from other South Afri-
can and international institutions.

Further information

Further program information is available on the Internet at:
http://www.nu.ac.za/department/extra.asp?id=1&dept=telehealthunm

Inquiries
mailto:MedInformatics@nu.ac.za

--
Maurice Mars
Professor and Head of Tele-Health 
Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine
University of Natal 
South Africa
Tel: +27-31-260-4364
Fax: +27-31-260-4455
mailto:mars@nu.ac.za

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