About College

Dreaming of a career in Medicine? Or perhaps Environmental Health or Dentistry? The College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS) offers a range of Certificate, Diploma, Bachelors and Postgraduate Higher Education (HE) programmes for you to choose from.

CMNHS traces its foundations back to the 1800s. Previously known as Fiji School of Medicine (FSM) and the Fiji School of Nursing (FSN), the two institutions were established in 1885 and 1893 respectively. Now known as the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, the College continues to provide quality education for future health professionals of Fiji and other Pacific Island Countries.

The College comprises of five Schools:

  • School of Medical Sciences;
  • School of Health Sciences;
  • School of Dentistry and Oral Health;
  • School of Nursing; and
  • School of Public Health & Primary Care.

With over 250 years’ experience in training health professionals, the College ensures that its graduates receive a holistic learning experience in order to become compassionate service providers in their community.

The College has received some extensive achievement to ensure it stays on par with the Dynamic health education demands:

  • World Health Organisation designated the College research centre (Pacific Research Centre for the Prevention of Obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases) as the WHO Collaborating Centre.
  • CMNHS offered Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences (BMLS) programme is now accredited by the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists (AIMS).
  • The College’s Department of Medical Imaging & Anatomy has been declared a Centre of Education by the World Federation of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, making CMNHS the regional hub for the training of multidisciplinary users of ultrasound.
  • CMNHS staff, Dr Oripa Waqa recently graduated with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry majoring in Oral Surgery making her the first female oral surgeon in the Pacific.
  • The College Health Research Ethics Committee received accreditation certificate by the Fiji National Human Research Ethics Committee, proving its institutional effectiveness as assessed by the accrediting and verification team.
  • The College has also developed a virtual Fiji Institute of Pacific Health Research (FIPHR) to further enhance the research activities at the College. The institute, in collaboration with several key organisations, received FJ$1.4 million for a five-year implementation project to strengthen policies to tackle diabetes and hypertension.
  • CMNHS hosts annual Pacific Islands Health Research Symposium which gained widespread commendations from local, regional and international stakeholders in 2019 during its 7th Through this Symposium, CMNHS provides a platform for our staff and students, and participants from the region and abroad to share their research findings in relation to the Pacific.
  • In a bid to continually enhance its service delivery, the College’s Learning and Teaching department hosts a two-day Pasifika Best Practice Health Professions Education Symposium. The Symposium is an exciting platform for our staff, invited scholars from Pacific Islands and experts from renowned international Universities to share and exchange views on current and challenging topics in health education.
  • CMNHS is the only College at the University which has an Associate Dean Regional’s Office headed by Dr Iobi Batio. Through this office, the College leads many scoping projects in the region to identify areas of need and offer solutions. The ADR’s office also acts as a help desk for all our incoming regional students to provide them with a smooth transition from their homes to University life.
  • This year the College celebrates 21 years of postgraduate programmes at the College.