UQ course to appeal to medical journalists

UQ course to appeal to medical journalists

Australia's first course in medical journalism is being planned at the University of Queensland.

The postgraduate diploma course will prepare students to work as journalists and information officers in the medical and health fields. The qualification for entry is a degree in any field.

Head of the Journalism Department Professor John Henningham said the department looked forward to the new course being available from 2000.

"I hope it will result in greater research and study of the issues involved in media reporting of health issues," he said.

"Our discussions have found widespread interest in a course of this type from journalists, health writers and members of the medical profession.

"As the course will be available on the Internet we expect enrolments from across Australia and from overseas."

Designed jointly by the UQ's Journalism Department and Health Sciences Faculty, the diploma course includes core subjects in journalism practice and theory as well as medical and health subjects and a new subject on medical journalism.

The course was originally conceived by the University's Executive Dean of Health Sciences, Professor Peter Brooks. It has been designed by an advisory group comprising medical and journalism academics and members of the Australian Medical Writers Association.

The advisory group is co-chaired by Professor John Pearn of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health and by Professor Henningham.

Media: Further information, contact Professor John Henningham, telephone 07 3365 2630.