Pūkawakawa 2016: A New Adventure Begins

Pūkawakawa 2016: A New Adventure Begins

Twenty-four fifth-year medical students making up the 2016 intake of Pūkawakawa Medical Outreach Programme were officially welcomed last week with a pōwhiri at the newly-refurbished NorthTec Marae in Whangarei.

The programme, a partnership with the University of Auckland, is now in its ninth year and is hugely popular, with more than 50 fifth-year medical students applying for places in the 2016 programme. The intake includes five Māori students and a total of nine with connections to Northland.

In addition to their medical studies and learning within Northland DHB services, with other providers and in communities throughout the region, there are uniquely Northland experiences. One of the most memorable activities for last year's students was a weekend in the Mid-North immersed in traditional Māori experiences organised by Poutokomanawa, our Māori Health service, and led by Ned Peita of Poutokomanawa. The weekend received a very high rating in the student evaluation and will be repeated this year.

The students were warmly welcomed by Northland DHB board chair Anthony Norman and chief executive Dr Nick Chamberlain.

Anthony observed: "You have already chosen a very honourable profession and I encourage you all to take every opportunity to experience the sharp end of public health here in Northland.

"You will be introduced to the heartbreak of seeing people inflicted with chronic conditions or cancers and facing up to the prospect of their life ending at the sad end of the spectrum, and you will also experience the miracle of participating in a new child being born.

"I encourage you to immerse yourself in this opportunity. If I could encourage you to do anything, it would be to remember compassion, during tough days and on your wonderful days. Show compassion always to each other, with people who are helping you with your training, and above all, to your patients and those who are accessing health services."

Nick commented: "This is a very special programme for us and one we are very proud of. People want to get on this programme and they want to return to return to the area after.

"This is about your career and really seizing the opportunity to be here. Northland is a fabulous place, one of the most beautiful parts of the world.
"You have the opportunity to make a difference, which is really exciting, and I know you are all going to really enjoy it.

"Good luck to all of you and I know it’s going to be a great year."

The Pukawakawa programme is run by The University of Auckland in partnership with the Northland District Health Board and was the first of its kind between a medical school and a health board.

Each year there are 10 places available at Whangarei Hospital for first-year provisional Registered Medical Officers (interns or house surgeons) and over the past seven years, half of those 40 places have gone to the University’s Pukawakawa students.

The Pukawakawa students are based at Whangarei Hospital for two thirds of their time in Northland and spend the other third based at one of the Northland DHB’s four rural centre hospitals – Kaitaia, Bay of Islands, Hokianga or Dargaville.

ENDS

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