New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine (NZCPHM)

The New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine (NZCPHM) was established as an incorporated society in 2008 to represent the medical specialty of public health medicine in New Zealand.  Its establishment ensured that public health needs unique to New Zealand were represented and acknowledged within the New Zealand context. 

A career in public health may include influencing public policy, working to address inequalities, improving living conditions and ensuring the good health of the next generation.

Bursaries/Scholarships

THE JOHN MCLEOD FUND

Māori and Pacific Registrars in the NZCPHM Training Programme are eligible to apply for grants from the John McLeod Fund. These grants are intended to assist Registrars to further develop their competence in public health, particularly in relation to the public health of Māori and Pacific populations and communities in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

For further information on the funding available and the application process, please click here.

Pre-Vocational Māori Doctors

A career in public health may include influencing public policy, working to address inequalities, improving living conditions and ensuring the good health of the next generation.  Your career in Publich Health will offer roles such as;

Medical Officer of Health

The Medical Officer of Health works as part of a team alongside other public health professionals to protect and promote the health of that community.  This role includes regulatory functions and is based in a Public Health Unit within a District Health Board.

Other Public Health Unit roles

These roles may include working in areas such as information and analysis, ‘health in all policies’ and health promotion.

Funding and Planning

These roles are based within District Health Boards and are focussed on needs assessment, population health input to DHB plans and processes, prioritisation and allocative decision making.

Advisory

Public Health Medicine Specialists work in a variety of advisory roles, including providing advice on regulatory and health policies, service development and planning of programmes.

Leadership and Management

These are roles within the health sector that focus on population-based services and personal health treatment services.  Public Health Medicine Specialists lead Ministry of Health programmes, provide advice to communities on ways to improve health outcomes, protect populations from environmental and biological hazards, and assess populations’ needs for health services.

Academic Public Health

These research and teaching roles require a high level of academic expertise, and training for them usually includes a doctorate.

Training for NZCPHM

Public Health Medicine is defined as the branch of medicine concerned with the epidemiological analysis of the health and health care of populations and population groups. It involves the assessment of population health and health care needs, the development of policy and strategy, health promotion, the control and prevention of disease, and the organisation of services. Public heath also includes a strong focus on achieving health equity across ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural groups, and promoting environments in which everyone can be healthy.

To find out more about the priorities for public health in New Zealand identified by the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine, see our 2017 ‘Prescription for Health and Equity for All’, as well as all of the NZCPHM policies which can be found here.

Information about the training programme is available on our website https://www.nzcphm.org.nz/education-training

The training programme is funded by Health Workforce, through the College.   This funding includes university course fees and a study grant for basic training, and an endowment for your employer when you are in advanced training.

In addition, Māori Registrars in the NZCPHM Training Programme are eligible to apply for grants from the College’s John McLeod Fund. These grants are intended to assist Registrars to further develop their competence in public health, particularly in relation to the public health of Māori populations and communities in New Zealand.

For more information please click here>>