Rate My Professor Rory Miller

Professor Rory Miller is a prominent academic and clinician in rural health at the University of Otago, Division of Health Sciences. He holds the position of Director of the Centre for Rural Health and Director of the Rural Postgraduate Programme in the Department of General Practice and Rural Health. An alumnus of the University of Otago, Miller earned his MB ChB and PhD in 2024, with his thesis titled "Evaluating and improving care for chest pain and non-ST-segment acute coronary syndromes in rural Aotearoa New Zealand." He also possesses fellowships FRNZCGP and FDRHMNZ. Practicing as a rural doctor in Whangamatā, he specializes in rural hospital medicine and rural general practice. In December 2025, the University of Otago announced his promotion among 32 new professors. Appointed Director of the Centre for Rural Health in late November 2025, Miller leads initiatives to spotlight and improve rural health services in New Zealand.

Miller's research investigates rural health inequities, particularly cardiovascular health disparities between rural and urban populations. Key publications include "Rural urban differences in receipt of radiation oncology services for breast, prostate and lung cancer by ethnicity in Aotearoa New Zealand" (2026, Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Oncology), "Is there a difference in ischaemic heart disease deaths that occur without a preceding hospital admission in people who live in rural compared with urban areas of Aotearoa New Zealand?" (2025, BMJ Open), "Exploring discrepancies in clinical coding between rural and urban hospitals in Aotearoa New Zealand" (2025, Rural & Remote Health), "Comparison of urban and rural mortality rates across the lifespan in Aotearoa/New Zealand" (2023), and "Unmasking hidden disparities: a comparative observational study examining the impact of different rurality classifications for health research in Aotearoa New Zealand" (2023). He has received Health Research Council funding, including $1,199,642 for evaluating bedside high-sensitivity troponin in rural chest pain pathways. Miller teaches postgraduate diplomas/certificates in rural and provincial medicine, rural hospital/GP registrars, and the University of Auckland's 5th year rural-regional programme. He edits the Leaning on Fenceposts blog and belongs to the Rural GP Network, NZ Cardiac Network, and Midlands Cardiac Network, contributing to policy and practice in rural health.