The growing emphasis on evidence-based public health, and the collection of vast amounts of increasingly complex health data, have resulted in an increasing requirement for high-level biostatistical skills within the public health workforce. In recognition of this need, the NSW Department of Health has established a three year Biostatistical Officer Training Program within the Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence.

 

The program offers a career path for biostatisticians working in public health by bridging the gap between academic studies and development as a professional biostatistician.

 

The program is a three-year competency based training program offering supervised on-the-job training. The trainees are supported by way of payment of their university fees and offering study leave to undertake a Masters in Biostatistics part-time through distance learning. During their training, the trainees rotate through a range of placements throughout the NSW public health system.

 

Upon graduation, the trainees should have completed the necessary requirements for the relevant Masters degree as well as have three years' working experience as a Biostatistician. The program provides a broad training that will enable graduates to subsequently apply their biostatistical expertise to many different spheres of public health practice. Graduates will be working as Biostatisticians in a range of public health services, research, development, policy and planning positions.

 

The training addresses 5 core competencies, in the areas of:

 

 

The full competency curriculum for the NSW Biostatistical Training Program is described in:

  Competency Standards for Biostatisticians