Dean of Otago Medical School visits Southland Hospital

The Dean of Otago Medical School Professor Rathan Subramaniam has met medical staff and students during his first visit to the University’s Invercargill Campus based at Southland Hospital.

Professor Subramaniam, who trained in both Australia and New Zealand, worked at Auckland City and Waikato hospitals before spending 15 years in the United States training in nuclear medicine. He took up the position as Dean of Otago Medical School in January this year.

Dean of Otago Medical School Professor Rathan Subramaniam with Associate Professor Konrad Richter, Associate Dean Southland 

He was in Southland to meet with people and to find out their aspirations for what Otago Medical School, particularly the Invercargill campus, would look like in the next 40 years.

“I wanted to hear what their vision was to grow the health component of Otago University over the next three decades,” he says.

His first meeting at Southland Hospital was with Dr Josie Parker at the Hospital’s Radiology Department. Associate Professor Konrad Richter, Associate Dean Southland and PA Madge Storm welcomed him to the University Study Hub which is part of the Southland Education and Research Centre, where he was able to connect with clinicians, nurses, managers, GPs, members of the Southland Medical Foundation, and representatives of the tertiary education campus.

Professor Subramaniam was impressed by the hospitality and high standard of the teaching and research activities and the facility itself.
A self-confessed supporter of the regions, he is keen to foster joint appointments in Invercargill between the University and Southland Hospital, with an emphasis on niche, highly-focused research and clinical work.

After visiting Southland Hospital’s Radiology Department, Professor Subramaniam has also offered to use his clinical skills as a nuclear medicine physician at Southland Hospital to treat Southland patients. He has already begun doing clinical work in Dunedin and is keen do the same in Invercargill.

He intends to be back, both as Dean of the Medical School and a doctor caring for patients.  “No doubt about that,” he says.