This page is about the Department of Public Health contribution to the University of Otago medical degree.
About
This website has been assembled to help medical students learn about public health from movies (commercially-released feature films). These movies were identified through a selection process that considered public health issues and also entertainment value (ie, nearly all have a score of ≥ 7/10 on the “Rotten Tomatoes” website). DVDs of all these movies are available for free for students and staff from the library at the University of Otago, Wellington.
The 35 top-ranked public health related movies (grouped by subject area)
Infectious diseases and pandemics:
- And the Band Played On (1993)
- Contagion (2011)
- How to Survive a Plague (2012)
- Milk (2008)
- Miss Evers’ Boys (1997)
Nutrition and food systems:
- Fed Up (2014)
- Food, Inc. (2008)
- King Corn (2007)
- Super Size Me (2004)
Climate change and energy:
- Carbon Nation (2010)
- Chasing Ice (2012)
- Climate Change (2006)
- Hot Air (2014)
- An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
- Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)
Healthcare systems:
Tobacco control:
- The Insider (1999)
- Bright Leaves (2004)
Public policy / corporate power:
- Amazing Grace (2006)
- Bowling for Columbine (2002)
- The Corporation (2004)
- The Yes Men (2004)
Environmental health:
- A Civil Action (1998)
- The Cove (2009)
- Erin Brockovich (2000)
- Michael Clayton (2007)
Developing countries:
- Born into Brothels (2004)
- The Constant Gardener (2005)
- Darwin’s Nightmare (2004)
- The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
- Workingman’s Death (2005)
Other eg:
- Homelessness: Dark Days (2000)
- Nuclear disarmament: Countdown to Zero (2010)
- Illicit drug policy: Traffic (2000)
Learning about psychiatry at the movies (with some movies also relevant to public health)
Background Report: Full list of 503 movies considered for the study on “Madness at the Movies: Prioritised Movies for Self-Directed Learning by Medical Students”
See this list of 10 movies we have selected for medical student self-learning (with all these freely available at the library – University of Otago, Wellington).
Related publications
- Wilson N, Heath D, Heath T, Gallagher P, Huthwaite M. Madness at the movies: prioritised movies for self-directed learning by medical students. Australas Psychiatry 2014;22:450-453
- Gallagher P, Wilson N, Jaine R. The efficient use of movies in a crowded curriculum. Clin Teach 2014;11:88–93
- Wilson N, Cowie R, Baker M, Howden-Chapman P. Movies for use in public health training: A pilot method for movie selection and initial results. 2009, Wellington, University of Otago, Wellington.
- Gallagher P, Wilson N, Edwards R, Cowie R, Baker MG. A pilot study of medical student attitudes to, and use of, commercial movies that address public health issues. BMC Research Notes 2011;4:111 [Full free text].
- Wilson N, Gallagher P, Schutte M. Movies with public health themes at a medical school library: interest and uptake. N Z Med J 2011;124(1329):101-103 [Full free text]
- Wilson N, Cowie R, Baker MG, Howden-Chapman P. Movies for use in public health training: a pilot method for movie selection and initial results. Med Teach 2010;32(3):270-1.
- Wilson N, Tucker A, Schutte M, Gallagher P, Howden-Chapman P. Learning about public health via novels: Ebooks and print formats (Brief Report).
- Wilson N, Howden-Chapman-P, Tucker A, Fullerton S. Free and for-purchase ebooks of novels with public health themes. Med Teach 2011;33:509.
- Wilson N, Tucker A, Fullerton S, Howden-Chapman-P. Free and for-purchase ebooks of novels with public health themes [Report].
