University of Otago, Christchurch

Christchurch Hospital

A new campus under construction on Tuam St. (June 2024)

The University of Otago, Christchurch is one of seven component schools that make up the University of Otago Division of Health Sciences. The University of Otago, Christchurch is based primarily at Christchurch Hospital, in Christchurch Central City, and works in partnership with the Canterbury District Health Board.

It has over 1,000 medical and postgraduate students on campus.^[1]

All University of Otago medical students who gain entry after the competitive Health Sciences First Year programme, or who gain entry via alternative admissions pathways, spend their second and third years studying at Otago Medical School in Dunedin. In their fourth, fifth, and sixth years, medical students can either continue to study in Dunedin, or at the Christchurch or Wellington campuses.

History

Starting in 1924, students could complete their last year of training at hospitals in either Auckland, Christchurch, or Wellington as well as Dunedin. In 1938, branch faculties were established in Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington. The Christchurch branch faculty became a clinical medical school in 1973, the forerunner to the University of Otago, Christchurch.^{[citation needed]} The inaugural dean was George Rolleston.^[2]

Professor David Murdoch was Dean of the University of Otago, Christchurch from 2016 to 2021, when he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago.^[3][4]

Professor Suzanne Pitama, the first Māori female Dean of any University of Otago medical campus, was appointed Dean in 2021.^[5]

In 2022, work started on a new campus on Oxford Terrace/Tuam Street. It is expected to be a medical school and construction is scheduled to be complete in 2026. It is a six-storey building and will hold four floors of clinical research facilities, laboratories and teaching facilities.^[6][7]

References

1. University of Otago, Christchurch. "About the University of Otago, Christchurch". www.otago.ac.nz.
2. "Mace makes comeback". The Press. 16 December 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
3. "David Murdoch announced as new Dean of University of Otago, Christchurch". Stuff. 16 May 2016.
4. "Otago University appoints Professor David Murdoch as new vice-chancellor". Stuff. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
5. "University of Otago appoints first wahine Māori as medical school Dean". RNZ. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
6. "Christchurch campus $220m build under way". The New Zealand Herald. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
7. McDonald, Liz. "Go-ahead for University of Otago's $178m Christchurch building". Stuff. Retrieved 25 August 2024.

External links

• University of Otago Division of Health Sciences
• University of Otago Medical School
• University of Otago, Christchurch

43.5344°S 172.6259°E / -43.5344; 172.6259