About the Association
The Association is an Incorporated Society with charitable status and has a set of Rules originally established in 1975 at the centenary of the Otago Medical School and subsequently amended over the years. We are a separate organisation to the University and the University of Otago Medical School, but have close connections with both. We work in collaboration with the School, and with the Development and Alumni Relations Office of the University.
All graduates of the University of Otago Medical School, MB ChB (NZ) and MB ChB (Otago), and all current and past staff across the three campuses are automatically admitted to membership of the Association on graduation or by virtue of their appointment. Currently, there is no subscription fee required. Specific activities are supported by fundraising appeals.
The two major objectives of the Association are (1) to stimulate interest in the historical and cultural background and the progress of the University of Otago Medical School and by so doing to assist in the advancement of medical education in New Zealand, and (2) to collect and maintain archival material including records, artefacts and memorabilia for housing in an historical museum with intent to support the Otago Medical School in its role to advance medical knowledge.
The Association is managed by an Executive, elected yearly that is made up of members who trained, work or have worked at any of the Medical School campuses. The Executive meets regularly to manage the current activities of the Association. While physically based in Dunedin, Association meetings are conducted both in person and by videoconferencing so all can participate.
We want to encourage alumni to be interested in and support the Otago Medical School. We have a very proud and deserved reputation for excellence extending back to our inception in 1875. Today we stand on the shoulders of some of the giants of New Zealand and international medicine and health science, as we contemplate what medical teaching is likely to look like in the future.
What we offer
The Association convenes monthly presentations on the history of medicine and science, presented the last Thursday of each month from February to November. The presentations are open to the public. They can be attended in person or viewed via livestream. Please contact us for further details, if you wish to be added to our mailing list for talk updates, or follow us on Facebook for upcoming talk announcements. Invited speakers from both inside and outside the University share their areas of historical interest, providing attendees a deeper understanding of the international, national and local background to modern medicine. A recent catalogue of video recordings of these talks can also be viewed on our YouTube channel @omsaa-nz.
The Association manages a stunning collection of artefacts. These include extensive collections of instruments and associated items across many of the medical and surgical specialties, equipment used in Nobel Prize winning work by Prof. Jack Eccles, the Rees Jones microscope collection and many other intriguing items such as a Lister Carbolic Sprayer used by the man himself, and a letter written by Florence Nightingale. Some items are on display at various locations in Dunedin Hospital and the Medical School. Others are currently in storage, and a current major project is to fully catalogue the collection and create a photographic archive that can be searched and viewed online.
The Association also supports the awards for the top graduating medical student each year and the portrait of the Dean of the Otago Medical School.
Please consider donating to the cause. Currently donations received will be put forward towards the costs of the digital archiving of the artefact collection and student awards.
You may have ideas for other projects that would support the School and the current staff and students. One class, for instance, has set up a Scholarship for medical students. The Alumnus Association would be pleased to help develop any similar ideas.
We encourage your involvement to any level you are able and look forward to your engagement as we celebrate 150 years of the Otago Medical School and 50 years of the Otago Medical School Alumni Association (OMSAA).
Dr Paul Trotman
President OMSAA