Rate My Professor Kobus Du Plooy

Dr. Kobus Du Plooy is a Senior Lecturer and Psychology Team Leader in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Otago's Dunedin School of Medicine, within the Division of Health Sciences. He holds qualifications including a BMil from the University of Stellenbosch, BSocSci (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Pretoria, MSc in Clinical Psychology from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, PhD in Psychology from North-West University, and an MBA with distinction from North-West University Business School. As a registered clinical psychologist and full member of the New Zealand Psychological Society, he serves on the Executive Committee of its Otago Branch. Du Plooy is primarily involved in lecturing and facilitating tutorials for medical students, specializing in behavioral science education within the MBChB curriculum. His teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2021 Excellence in Teaching in Adult Learning Medicine of the MBChB programme and contributions to departmental teaching awards.

Du Plooy's research specializations encompass mental health, well-being, and sport and performance psychology. Key publications include 'A qualitative study of former participants' experiences of the Green Prescription program in Aotearoa New Zealand' (BMC Public Health, 2025, with Beth Wishart and Damian Scarf), 'What medical students want from Mental Health Self-Help Resources: A focus group study' (2024), 'The Performance of ChatGPT on Short-answer Questions in a Psychiatry Examination: A Pilot Study' (2024), 'Mental skills training in elite sports environments: Current status of integration' (2023), and 'Laying the groundwork: A rapid review of existential therapy for young adults' (2025, with Josiah Edwin and Jon Cornwall). His work addresses topics such as evidence-based strategies for anxiety and depression reduction, mental well-being through holistic self-care, performance improvement, stress prevention, psychological distress in medical students, physical activity promotion, and mental health self-help resources. Previously, he held positions as Extraordinary Professor at North-West University and Senior Professional Clinician/Psychologist at Massey University. Du Plooy contributes as a media expert on psychology, psychiatry, mental health, and well-being, including discussions on overthinking.