Welcome!

The Otago Virtual Hospital (OVH) is open and ready to host a series of acute care scenarios. Each scenario:

  • operates in real time;
  • will challenge participants in a different area of medical practice; and
  • needs virtual doctors.

How will you treat Mrs Gertrude MacFarlane or Mr Joe Smith??  Both scenarios are live, ready and waiting for virtual doctors. This is the closest you can get to being a doctor without actually being a doctor!

What will you do in the OVH?

Once you’ve consented to take part we will build an avatar for you. Using your avatar in the OVH, you will:

  • interact with virtual patients;
  • complete examinations, order investigations, make diagnoses; and
  • write prescriptions and monitor your treatment plans.

Register now!

If you’re a 4th or 5th year medical student who is prepared to spend some of your holidays practising as a doctor in the OVH and learning from experienced practitioners, register today. Sign up through our 3-step process (Info-Consent-Request) all on this site! Email your questions to Dr Phil Blyth (Senior Lecturer in eLearning) at: phil.blyth@otago.ac.nz

Access

On-campus: The Hunter CAL computers have the New Zealand Virtual World Grid (NZVWG) loaded and are waiting for you to use.

Off-campus: To use your own computer you will need to:

  1. Download and install the Second Life software on your computer;
  2. Configure your Second Life software according to these steps. Scroll down to “Windows/Apple/Linux Users”.

If you don’t want to create an avatar at this point in time:

  1. Open NZWVG through Second Life and log in using Joanne Swati (pw Pakistan) or Justin Swabi (pw Germany)
  2. Teleport to OtagoMedicalSchool (click “Map” on bottom right, search for “OtagoMedicalSchool”, then click Teleport) and have a look around the Orientation Area.

If you do want to create your own avatar:

  1. Sign up for a new New Zealand Virtual World Grid (NZVWG) account here
  2. Open NZVWG through Second Life and log in with your avatar name and password (emailed to you)
  3. Teleport to OtagoMedicalSchool (click “Map” on bottom right, search for “OtagoMedicalSchool”, then click Teleport) and have a look around the Orientation Area
  4. Go here for details on changing your avatar’s appearance
  5. To gain access to the scenarios, fill in the consent form AND email the project team (ovh@otago.ac.nz ) your avatar name

Do email Kin at swee.kin.loke@otago.ac.nz if you encounter problems getting started (a record of any error messages will be really useful for troubleshooting purposes).