Department of Paediatrics

The Department of Paediatrics is one of three paediatric departments within the University of Otago; the other two being in Dunedin and Wellington.

Roles

The Christchurch Department of Paediatrics, which was established in 1972, has played a leading role in the development of teaching, research and professional training for Paediatrics and Child Health in New Zealand.

Teaching

Our teaching programme has developed to provide undergraduate (Med V and VI) and postgraduate (Diploma of Child Health ) education across broad aspects of Paediatrics and Child Health, with inclusion of areas such as Neonatology, Paediatric Surgery and sub-speciality areas of Paediatrics (for example, Neurology and Respiratory).

Opportunities for postgraduate study in Paediatrics and Child Health include the BMedSci, MMedSci, MD and PhD degrees.

Research

The Paediatric academic staff have very active research programmes.

The department has had long established interests in paediatric urology especially reflux, community child health, SIDS, and neonatal research.

Ongoing research activities include respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, nutrition, neonatal medicine, diabetes and endocrinology, infectious diseases, and childhood cancer.

Our department works closely with a number of University basic science research groups and departments, such as the Centre for Free Radical Research.

Specialist services

Our academic staff are integral members of specialist Paediatric clinical services based at Christchurch Hospital and Christchurch Women's Hospital. Christchurch Hospital provides secondary referral General Paediatric services.

In addition, it is the base for numerous paediatric subspecialty services providing tertiary services for the region and the rest of the South Island. These include Renal and Endocrine medicine, Respiratory medicine, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Neurology, Paediatric Surgery, and Paediatric Haematology and Oncology.

Secondary and tertiary neonatal intensive care is provided at Christchurch Women's Hospital.

For further information

Department of Paediatrics
University of Otago, Christchurch
4 Oxford Terrace
Christchurch

Tel +64 3 372 6718