’No word of medical degree’

THE man accused of making five patients ill after he faked his medical credentials did not mention a medical degree when he applied to complete a PhD at Griffith University.

Vincent Berg is on trial in the Southport District Court on 14 charges including grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm and fraud.

It is alleged that between 1999 and 2003 he faked a medical degree from a Russian University and treated patients as a psychiatrist. During that time he prescribed medications which made patients ill.

Griffith University senior manager Mary Forster yesterday told the court a search of the records found a postgraduate application from Berg in 1996. She said on the form, Berg had indicated he had a degree in mathematics from Tula Polytechnique University in Russia and also a PhD in sociology.

Ms Forster said the forms made no mention of a medical degree obtained by Berg.

Berg worked as an unpaid clinical observer at Gold Coast Health in 1999 where he did not treat any patients.

He later got a job in Townsville working for the mental health services.