[1] Pitama was educated at Wairoa College, and qualified in psychology at University of Auckland.
[2] Pitama was already a registered clinical psychologist before she completed the first-ever PhD undertaken in indigenous medical education, submitting her thesis, "As natural as learning pathology": the design, implementation and impact of indigenous health curricula within medical schools,[3] at the University of Otago in 2013.
[1][4] In December 2021, she was appointed Dean and Head of Campus at the University of Otago, Christchurch, effective February 2022.
[1][6] In 2015, Pitama received the AKO Aotearoa Prime Minister's Supreme Award for tertiary teaching excellence.
[6] Pitama was also awarded the 2018 Metge Medal for 'excellence and building relationships in the social science research community'.