Rate My Professor Kayla Young

Kayla Young serves as a Professional Practice Fellow and Education Adviser in the Medical Education Unit of the Dunedin School of Medicine at the University of Otago. Affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine within the Health Sciences Division, she provides essential support to the 34 module-based clinical teaching teams responsible for the fourth, fifth, and sixth-year components of the MB ChB programme. Her work encompasses assisting staff in the planning, development, delivery, assessment, and evaluation of courses, as well as facilitating professional development and research with an educational focus. As part of the Education Development and Staff Support Unit (EDSSU), Kayla contributes to curriculum evolution, course evaluation coordination, and staff development as educators, including efforts in medical education research. Her current projects demonstrate her commitment to enhancing medical education: launching the new Older Persons’ Health module, exploring pastoral care within the clinical environment, evaluating strategies for student feedback, and operationalising MB ChB intercampus alignment on the Dunedin campus.

Before joining the University of Otago, Kayla Young held key educational roles in Queensland, Australia, including Head of Department of Science, Senior Curriculum Co-ordinator, and Learning Support Specialist at a composite campus. Her excellence in teaching and administration has been acknowledged through prestigious awards. In 2025, she received the Te Tohu Kaituitui special award at the Faculty of Medicine – Dunedin Advanced Learning in Medicine (ALM) Teaching Awards ceremony held on 12 September. Additionally, in 2023, she was honoured with the Department of Psychological Medicine Teaching Award for Outstanding Administrator. Kayla has also made a scholarly contribution through a conference publication: Nicoll Antipas, P., Gladman, T., & Young, K. (2025). The potential of play: How might we adapt a successful teacher education activity for an HPE context? Proceedings of the Australian & New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) Conference: Horizons: Embrace the Future, 83.