University of Otago, Christchurch


The University of Otago, Christchurch is one of four component schools that make up the University of Otago Medical School. 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.
All University of Otago medical students who gain entry after the competitive Health Sciences First Year program, or who gain entry via alternative admissions pathways, spend their second and third years studying at the Dunedin School of Medicine. In their fourth, fifth, and sixth years, medical students can either continue to study in Dunedin, or at the Christchurch or Wellington medical schools.

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.
Professor David Murdoch was named Dean of the University of Otago, Christchurch in 2016.