Rate My Professor Emma Macfarlane

Emma Macfarlane is a Lecturer in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health at the University of Otago's Dunedin School of Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Otago, a Bachelor of Nursing from Otago Polytechnic, and a Master of Health Sciences endorsed in Nursing (Clinical) from the University of Otago. Currently, she is a PhD candidate at the University of Otago, supported by a University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship. Prior to her academic role, Macfarlane worked as a nurse for Family Planning and is set to become a Nurse Practitioner. She serves one day a week in clinical practice while advancing her research and teaching career.

Macfarlane coordinates the postgraduate paper OBGY715 Medical Gynaecology I and teaches in OBGY712 Pre and Early Pregnancy Care. Her research focuses on reproductive health, including access to abortion services in Aotearoa New Zealand after decriminalization, health practitioners' and consumers' experiences of first trimester abortion journeys, medical abortion provision in primary care and rural settings, and contraception innovations like simplified insertion devices and mobile point-of-care ultrasound. Her contributions appear in peer-reviewed journals, highlighting gaps in service delivery and advocating for improved care aligned with legal changes. Key publications include 'The first trimester abortion journey Aotearoa: health practitioners' perspectives' (New Zealand Medical Journal, 2024, with Pauline Dawson and others), 'The journey of people accessing first trimester abortion in Aotearoa New Zealand: health consumers' perspectives' (Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 2025, with Helen Paterson, Michael Stitely, and Pauline Dawson), 'Access to abortion after decriminalization in Aotearoa New Zealand: a mixed-methods study' (Contraception, 2025, with Melanie Gibson and others), 'What does abortion law reform mean for primary care practitioners in New Zealand' (New Zealand Medical Journal, 2021), 'A survey of the views and practices of abortion of the New Zealand Fellows and trainees of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' (Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2020, with Helen Paterson), and 'Student use of common online resources in a multi-campus medical school' (MedEdPublish, 2021, with Steve Gallagher and others). Her work influences policy discussions on reproductive health equity.