Rate My Professor Michael Stitely

Associate Professor Michael Stitely serves as Head of Department for the Section of Obstetrics & Gynaecology in the Department of Women's & Children's Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago. A medical doctor with an MD from the University of Pittsburgh (1994), he completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (1994-1998). Previously, he held the position of Vice Chair for Clinical Services in Obstetrics and Gynecology at WVU Medicine, Morgantown (2004-2011). He assumed his current leadership role at the University of Otago in November 2012.

His academic interests and research focus on key areas within obstetrics and gynaecology, including postpartum haemorrhage management, antiepileptic drug exposure during pregnancy and child developmental outcomes, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, labour induction methods, and access to first trimester abortion services in New Zealand. Stitely has contributed to innovative solutions, such as co-developing a 3D-printed device to simplify intrauterine device insertion, which won the University of Otago's 2019 Proof of Concept competition. Notable publications co-authored by him include "Antiepileptic drug exposure in pregnancy and neonatal bleeding risk" (2018), "Developmental outcomes at age four following maternal antiepileptic drug use" (2019), "The Before School Check (B4SC): reporting outcomes and referral rates for all New Zealand children" (2019), "Outpatient balloon catheter vs inpatient prostaglandin for induction of labour (OBLIGE): a randomised controlled trial" (2020), "What does abortion law reform mean for primary care practitioners in New Zealand?" (2021), "Rates of Māori women receiving surgical treatment for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in Southern District Health Board" (2021), "Outpatient balloon versus inpatient prostaglandin for induction of labor: a randomized trial" (2023), "The first trimester abortion journey Aotearoa: health practitioners' perspectives" (2024), and "The journey of people accessing first trimester abortion in Aotearoa New Zealand: health consumers' perspectives" (2025). With over 880 citations across 55 publications, his work influences clinical practice and policy in women's health.