Amber Russell

Otago Uni fulfils long-held ambition for St Peter’s graduate

Having heart surgery at Starship Children’s Hospital inspired St Peter’s College old girl Amber Russell’s choice to head to Dunedin to study health sciences.

Receiving a $10,000 University of Otago Māori and Pacific Island Entrance Scholarship simply underlined Otago’s advantages, Amber says.

“My sister Amy is studying physiotherapy here so I always thought I would come,” she says.

“Plus Otago has a reputation as the place to study medicine. I’m aiming to be a paediatrician. I spent time in Starship Children’s Hospital for heart surgery after getting rheumatic fever. I was inspired by the staff and made really good friends there. I thought it would be a good career.

“I came to Dunedin for four days last year after getting an On Campus Experience Scholarship. We had tours and met a lot of people so when I arrived this year it felt as if I knew my way around.”

Amber’s lectures in the popular Health Sciences First Year course often contain 2000 or more other students.

“If you don’t get into the lecture theatre with the lecturer, there will be another theatre live-streaming a video. If you miss the lecture there are podcasts, too.”

Amber is competing with many of the other Health Science First Year students for some 250 places in medical school, but she says there is a range of support helping her achieve her goal.

“I’m living at Cumberland College; it has really good tutorials for every subject. The Health Science First Year students there are all on the same floor and we do the tutorials together. We wake each other up to make sure we get to lectures.”

Amber says her sister also spent her first year living at Cumberland College, one of 13 residential colleges on or nearby the campus that primarily cater to first-year students.

”Amy didn’t tell me about all the tricks the different floors like playing on each other. Each floor has names like the Dub Boys and Rasta Floor. We’re The Tribe.”

Being of Ngati Porou and Cook Island Māori descent, Amber has also signed up with the campus Pacific Islands Centre making use of its additional tutorials, mentors and social events. “The Centre is very close-knit in terms of the people,” she adds.

During her time at St Peter’s College Amber represented the school in netball, while also umpiring and coaching. Her busy university schedule hasn’t stopped her signing up with Netball Otago, offering her umpiring skills for secondary school games.

“I wouldn’t be getting as involved in Dunedin’s community as I am if I didn’t feel comfortable. The campus is so central – right in the city – making it easy to feel at home.”