She began working at the Southern District Health Board as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in 2002, and also became a clinical senior lecturer in the women's and children's health department at the school.
Throughout her career, Dr Devenish had impressed as a ''most enthusiastic and committed teacher'', university officials said at the recent annual teaching awards ceremony.
She had taught undergraduate and postgraduate medical students with enthusiasm and a passion for lifelong learning, and was also consistently rated as the ''top teacher'' by fifth-year students who had completed their attachment in women's and children's health.
Associate Prof Gerard Wilkins, of the school's department of medicine, also received a commendation to senior staff for teaching.
He was a pioneer and earlier innovator in several key respects, including acute infarct intervention, vascular debulking techniques and coronary stenting, officials said.
SDHB chief executive Carole Heatly also participated in the ceremony.
Acting school dean Prof David Gerrard said the awards event celebrated not only teaching excellence but also the long and close collaboration between the school and the Dunedin Hospital and the SDHB.
Collaboration over more than a century between school and hospital had achieved ''wonderful'' things for teaching and research.
In many cases, by sharing staff funding between the two institutions, both had benefited from world-class staff appointments, which would have been difficult for either party to fund alone.
Such links had also ''brought significant benefits to the community'', including strengthening the quality of medical care.
Other teaching awards were: Certificate for trainee intern showing commitment and aptitude for teaching, Clement Tan; trainee intern commendation, Michael Knight; certificate to house officer, for commitment and quality in teaching, Keith Lee, Justus Pienaar, Reshma Shettigar; commendation to house officer, Peter McLeod, Jeremy Yap; certificate to registrar, Sarah Gleeson; registrar commendation, Mohammad Amer, Sudish Lal, Heath Lash, Delia Smith; dean's commendation, Invercargill teaching staff, Dr V. Sotutu; certificate to nursing team providing best learning environment for medical students, oncology nursing team ward 8C, Jane McColm.
