The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university (founded 1869) and its Otago Medical School is the country's founding medical school — established in 1875 and consistently producing New Zealand's most cited medical research. The programme spans six years (health sciences first year in Dunedin, then second year in Dunedin, followed by clinical years in Dunedin, Christchurch, or Wellington). Clinical rotations in Dunedin take place at Dunedin Hospital and community settings; the Christchurch campus uses Christchurch Hospital (the South Island's largest); and Wellington uses Wellington Regional Hospital.

Otago's research strengths are extraordinary for a school its size: the Christchurch Health and Development Study is one of the world's longest-running longitudinal health studies, while the Gene Structure and Function Laboratory and the Centre for Free Radical Research have produced globally significant work. Dunedin is a compact, affordable university town with a strong student culture (25% of residents are students), surrounded by dramatic southern New Zealand landscapes. For UK students, Otago offers an intimate, research-rich medical education in spectacular natural settings, with a GMC-recognised MBChB.