Rate My Professor Mary McWatters

Dr. Mary McWatters, MBChB (University of Otago, 2014), DCH, FRNZCGP (2020), is a Senior Professional Practice Fellow and Regional Coordinator for Marlborough in the Rural Medical Immersion Programme (RMIP) at the University of Otago's Centre for Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Division. Born and raised in Ngatea on the rural Hauraki Plains in Waikato, McWatters participated in the RMIP herself as a fourth-year medical student at the University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Wellington campus, completing her 12-week immersion placement in Blenheim. Following her graduation, she stayed in Blenheim to undertake house officer training and general practice vocational training, achieving vocational registration as a general practitioner on 14 December 2015. During her studies, she received a 2013 grant from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust, funding an international exchange to Sale, Gippsland, Australia, in collaboration with Monash University, enhancing her exposure to rural health practices.

In her current roles, McWatters facilitates immersive rural clinical experiences for University of Otago medical students in Marlborough, contributing to the programme's goal of developing future rural healthcare professionals. She practices part-time as a general practitioner at Manu Ora, a charity-run high-needs practice located at 219 Howick Road, Blenheim, with special clinical interests in women’s health and chronic pain management. McWatters has been involved in practitioner contributions to national health audits and surveys, including the 2020 appropriateness of trimethoprim for cystitis in women and input on New Zealand's Cannabis Legalisation and Regulation Bill. Additionally, she co-authored a student project titled “Calling the Shots: HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer” (2010), which investigated Gardasil uptake rates, risk perceptions among young women, and factors influencing parental consent. Residing in Blenheim with her husband CJ, who trained in Rural Hospital Medicine, and their daughter Amelia, she has briefly supported family relocations such as to Alexandra.