Venereology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and the name is derived from the Roman Goddess Venus associated with fertility, beauty and love. A medical doctor, who specializes in venereology is called as Venereolgist and in some countries the specialty is combined with dermatology.

Diseases pertaining to venereal diseases include parasitic, fungal, viral and bacterial infections inclusive of HIV infection. Some of the diseases cured by Venerologists include genital scabies, human papillomavirus infection, herpes simplex, candidiasis, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV Infection. Other sexually transmitted infections include cytomegalovirus infection, hepatitis B, Granuloma inguinale, lymphogranuloma venereum and Chancroid. Diploma in Venereology is a three year PG course being offered only by a single college in India and the this is a government-run college and the name of this college is given below:

• Osmania Medical College

About Osmania Medical College:

The college holds the pride of being the only college approved by Medical Council in India for Diploma in Venereology course. This course is being offered by the college along with several other courses at the PG degree level and diploma level in addition to the MBBS course. The institute is offering medical education with affiliation from the NTR University of Health Sciences located at Vijayawada in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and the college came into existence in the year 1946.

Eligibility requirement:

For apply to the Diploma in Venereology course, candidates must have completed their MBBS from a MCI approved institution or any other qualification as approved by the Medical Council of India.

Admission Procedure:

Admission of students to the Diploma in Venereology course is done based on the entrance test conducted by the NTR University of Health Sciences. This is a PG common entrance test conducted by the university for admission of students to different PG degree and diploma courses in medicine.

How do venereologists differ from Dermatologists?

Most of us confuse between a venereologist and a dermatologist since both these professionals work together in most of the cases. The main difference between these two professionals is that dermatologists are skin specialists who treat different diseases pertaining to skin, while venerologists treats diseases that are sexually transmitted.

Job scope for Venereologists:

Venereologists can find job opportunities in government hospitals, medical laboratories, pharmaceutical firms, medical centre and private health care departments. A few multi-specialty hospitals have a separate wing for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and Diploma in Venereology professionals can find job placement in these hospitals as well.