About the University of Otago, Wellington
The University of Otago’s Wellington Campus was established by the University in 1974 to provide the range of patients and facilities required to meet modern teaching standards for an expanded intake of medical students.
Currently about 44% of the Campus’s total student effective full-time enrolments are undergraduate (MBChB) medical students. In addition to the MBChB course, the Campus has New Zealand’s only Medical Radiation Therapy programme (a three year undergraduate course), and offers a wide-range of postgraduate programmes for medical and non-medical graduates.
Mission Statement
The University of Otago Wellington will take a leadership role in the Aotearoa/New Zealand health system and community, recognising the Treaty of Waitangi as the mandate for the good health of all New Zealanders, through:
- the provision of outstanding research-informed undergraduate and postgraduate health science education;
- contributing nationally and internationally the highest quality scholarship, teaching, research, and clinical practice;
- preparing graduates to meet the diverse and multicultural health needs in Aotearoa/New Zealand and international settings, now and in the future;
- staff and students contributing to knowledge and understanding within the health sciences;
- promoting health and education within the community using the highest quality basic and applied research;
- taking account of its proximity to central government and policy agencies.
Staffing
The Campus employs a total of 373 staff (174.3 full time equivalents) as follows:
- 112 academic staff (excluding clinical lecturers and joint clinical staff) (79.3 FTEs)
- 27 joint clinical appointments with local District Health Boards (14 FTEs)
- 141 part-time clinical lecturers (7 FTEs)
- 93 administrative staff (74 FTEs)
Academic departments
The University of Otago, Wellington is situated close to Wellington Hospital. It has nine academic departments:
- Medicine (Professor Stewart Mann)
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Professor Kevin Pringle)
- Paediatrics and Child Health (Dr Tosh Stanley, Acting HoD)
- Pathology and Molecular Medicine (Acting HoD Dr Michael Humble)
- Primary Health Care and General Practice (Dr Sue Pullon)
- Psychological Medicine (Professor Peter Ellis)
- Public Health (Professor Richard Edwards)
- Radiation Therapy (Ms Karen Coleman)
- Surgery and Anaesthesia (Associate Professor Duncan Galletly)
Facilities
The Campus has extensive student support and learning facilities on site. It has recently built award-winning new facilities, including a new medical library, teaching rooms, and computer facility.
Role that the Campus has within the undergraduate MBChB medical course
The role of the Campus is to:
- teach years 4, 5 and 6 of the medical programme, ensuring congruence with Faculty curriculum objectives;
- provide vertical integration of basic sciences in clinical contexts;
- offer students a wide range of clinical experiences; and
- provide leadership within the medical programme.
Strong research
The Campus has research strengths in a number of areas, spanning the spectrum through biomedical, clinical and public health. All the Campus’s academic departments are research active, and there are a number of well established research groups.
Strong indigenous health research
The Campus’s Māori health research unit, Te Ropu Rangahau Hauora A Eru Pōmare, is a national leader. The strength of this unit, in combination with our well-established and long-term relationships with local iwi groups, provides a strong foundation on which to build the indigenous component of our curriculum.
Working with DHBs and primary health care providers
Hospital services in New Zealand are provided by 21 District Health Boards. A major strength of the Campus’s undergraduate medical programme is its regional approach. This aims to capitalise on the strengths of our local tertiary hospital and on the excellent learning opportunities provided by the region’s general provincial hospitals and primary health care centres. Similarly, the undergraduate medical radiation therapy programme collaborates closely with District Health Boards around the country.
The Campus also has a close working relationship with a private hospital, Bowen Hospital, where the Campus’s Sleep Investigation Centre, WellSleep Sleep Investigation Centre, is located.