Present Meets Future With Bright Young Students

Te Korowai Parae Rangatahi – Present Meets Future when Bright Young Students Attend Annual Psychiatry Conference

AUCKLAND, Oct. 15 /Medianet International-AsiaNet/ --

A group of 20 secondary school students will meet psychiatrists from around New Zealand, in the hope it will encourage them to consider a career in psychiatry. The group of year 13 students will attend The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' (RANZCP) annual New Zealand Conference in Rotorua on 16 October. The initiative, Te Korowai Parae Rangatahi, was made possible by a joint partnership between two New Zealand mental health and addiction workforce development centres – Te Pou and Te Rau Matatini – and the RANZCP.

There are high expectations that the students from schools around the Midlands district health boards (DHB) region will find the conference stimulating and inspiring enough to consider a career in medicine generally, and psychiatry specifically. Currently less than 3% of medical graduates choose to specialise in psychiatry each year, but the RANZCP aims to recruit 5%.

And it's a big decision. A career in medicine is a long journey involving six years of medical school, two years as a house officer, and another minimum of five years training in a specialist area. For New Zealand's bright young students though, there's a lot to find attractive about a career in psychiatry, especially when you’re interested in people, science and communication.

Dr Rees Tapsell, a forensic psychiatrist, is convenor of the RANZCP New Zealand Conference. Dr Tapsell says Te Korowai Parae Rangatahi aims to encourage students to consider medical school, and cultivate an interest in psychiatry as a postgraduate possibility – an area in which New Zealand, like the rest of the world, struggles with workforce recruitment and retention.

``The timing of the conference couldn't have been better. October is when students are making a call about 'what’s next' for them. We consider this an opportunity to introduce them to a network of medical students, inspire them with our eminent psychiatrists and challenge them with the issues of our time. For some this could be the day they look back and remember, `that's when I decided to become a psychiatrist’.’’

The RANZCP has prepared a programme tailored to the students' interests, for the third and final day of the conference. The programme includes spending the day with medical student mentors, networking with fully fledged psychiatrists, attending a special session hosted by eminent New Zealand psychiatrist Dr Rees Tapsell and Psychiatry Registrar Dr Jelena Bennett, talking to conference exhibitors and attending a symposium about the commercial sponsorship of psychiatrist education.

The $4000 sponsorship from Te Pou and Te Rau Matatini covers the cost of the students’ transportation, conference fees and refreshments.

The criteria for eligible students included excelling in the sciences with B-B+ grades, and having a particular interest in medicine and psychiatry. Te Pou and Te Rau Matatini coordinated the selection process, working with principals, teachers, year 13 deans and guidance counselors from kaupapa Maori, co-ed and single sex decile 6 schools across the Midlands region.

An evaluation of Te Korowai Parae Rangatahi will be carried out. Schools will be provided with feedback including how the medical student mentors found working with the students, and whether the students are interested in attending medical school as a result of the conference.

The RANZCP NZ Conference is an annual event providing opportunities for NZ Fellows, affiliates and trainees to network and problem-solve by debating and discussing the issues faced by the profession. The 2009 conference theme is Learning from the Past; Lessons for the Future. 2009 is the inaugural year for Te Korowai Parae Rangatahi and the RANZCP hopes the programme will become a regular conference feature.

Psychiatry in New Zealand faces similar workforce issues to psychiatry around the world. Stigma attached to mental health and psychiatry as a career is an ongoing challenge for the profession. Dr Tapsell says strong community relations are a way to raise the profile and build awareness.

``Community relationships with schools and other public institutions are very important because we have to be able to talk about mental disorder and treatment without people being scared off by the subject. It's about people, science and communication. Te Korowai Parae Rangatahi is one programme that contributes to strong grass-roots community relationships with schools and students. We are thrilled to be working with Te Pou and Te Rau Matatini, and are grateful for the sponsorship they have provided to the students and the RANZCP that has made this programme possible.’’

About The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) is the principal organisation representing the medical specialty of psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand and has responsibility for training, examining and awarding the qualification of Fellowship of the College to medical practitioners. Further information can be found at the College’s website: www.ranzcp.org.

About Te Pou
Te Pou is The National Centre of Mental Health Research, Information and Workforce Development. Te Pou works alongside district health board and non-government mental health and addiction services to develop frontline leadership, and effect systems change and quality improvement in service delivery. Te Pou also has a role implementing government policy into actions that address gaps in service and workforce development. For more information visit Te Pou’s website: www.tepou.co.nz.

About Te Rau Matatini
Te Rau Matatini is the National Mâori Health Workforce Development Organisation that is actively implementing government policies to identify Mâori workforce gaps and provide solutions. Their programmes increase the number and skill of Mâori working in the health sector. Te Rau Matatini provides leadership in Mâori health workforce development alongside the Ministry of Health, DHBs, professional bodies, tertiary institutions and non-governmental Maori health services. Their contributions impact significantly in assisting whânau and communities to achieve Whânau Ora and the advancement of indigenous wellness in Aotearoa. For more information visit: www.matatini.co.nz or check out www.churchurbro.co.nz.

About the Midlands district health board region
The Midlands district health board's region includes Waikato, Lakes, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and Tairawhiti district health boards. The Midlands region district health boards serve a population of approximately 810,000 people.

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