Students at the award ceremony
Wellington campus staff and students gathered together on 19 November for an end of year Hui Whakanui Tauira to celebrate the significant achievements of students over the past year.
The hui offered a chance to farewell the graduating medical class and radiation therapy students as well as to celebrate postgraduate and undergraduate student prize winners. Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Nicholson was guest speaker at the event and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Health Sciences, Professor Paul Brunton also attended.
Graduating medical and radiation therapy students were acknowledged and presented with a leaving gift by University of Otago, Wellington, Dean, Professor William Levack.
Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Nicholson, Wellington Dean and Head of Campus Professor William Levack, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Health Sciences, Professor Paul Brunton and graduating student and ceremonial mace carrier, Samuel Lloyd, who has just completed his trainee intern year.
With the cancellation of this year's Dunedin graduation ceremonies, the event offered a last chance for graduating Radiation Therapy and MB ChB students to be together. A reading of the medical graduates' oath for the trainee intern class was also added to proceedings. Dr Erik Andersen led the reading of the oath in Te Reo Māori and Professor Dawn Elder led the reading of the oath in English.
The Mace was carried in by student Samuel Lloyd, who has just completed his trainee intern year, and the honour of wearing the kākahu was bestowed on graduating medical students, Grace Clarricoats and Kealey-Rei Sanford in recognition of student leadership.
Because attendance was limited to allow for distancing in COVID-19 Alert Level 2, the hui, held at the Dominion Building at Massey University, was livestreamed to staff, friends and whānau who could not be there in person, with more than 100 people tuning in.