Putnam Investments, LLC
                              One Post Office Square
                              Boston, MA 02109
                              January 4, 2001

Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC  20549

RE: Putnam Health Sciences Trust (Reg. No. 2-75863) (811-3386) (the
    "Fund")
    Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Pursuant to Rule 497(j) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Fund hereby certifies that the form of Prospectus and Statement of
Additional Information that would have been filed on behalf of the Fund
pursuant to Rule 497(c) upon the effectiveness of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 20 to the Fund's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (the
"Amendment") would not have differed from that contained in the
Amendment, which is the most recent amendment to such Registration
Statement and was filed electronically on December 28, 2001.

Comments or questions concerning this certificate may be directed to
Kathleen M. Moynihan at 1-800-225-2465, ext. 1-1796.

                              Very truly yours,

                              PUTNAM HEALTH SCIENCES TRUST

                              /s/ Gordon H. Silver
                          By: ----------------------------
                              Gordon H. Silver
                              Vice President

cc: Jason Pogorelec, Esq.
    Ropes & Gray