Sam Fraser, Iritana Bennett-Fakahau, Georgia Grant and Hotene Ngaropo-Tuia at the Ki te Āpōpō Rangatahi Expo last month.
A group of Māori medical students from the Wellington campus have spent a day with high school students teaching them to take vital signs, use a tendon hammer and listen to heartbeats.
The group from Ngā Puna Hauora, the Māori Health Professionals Students’ Association, were invited to take part in the Ki te Āpōpō Rangatahi Expo, an event aimed at helping high school students explore career and study options, held at Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki in June.
The president of Ngā Puna Hauora, trainee intern Hotene Ngaropo-Tuia (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manu), says they talked about their experiences at medical school and answered questions rangatahi had about going to university.
What the high school students enjoyed most though was the chance to learn some clinical skills.
“In fact, tauira were more interested in that, than talking to us about going to medical school,” Hotene laughs.
“Many of them had seen medical instruments used before at the doctor, but they appreciated actually learning about how they worked and having the opportunity to practise on each other.”
Ngā Puna Hauora’s goal in attending the expo was to encourage rangatahi to think about careers in the health sector.
But Hotene thinks there is still a long way to go before more young Māori start to consider medicine as a career option.
“What we did was a step in the right direction but unfortunately for so many young Māori, the thought of medical school still seems unachievable. This is a product of the society we live in.
“I hope more than anything that their seeing other young Māori in medical school shows them that this is very much achievable for them too.”
It was the first time medical students from Ngā Puna Hauora had attended a high school student expo and Hotene says they found it a lot of fun.
“We got to explore the event, do our own learning and watch keynote speeches from people like singer and actor Stan Walker. We had an awesome day and hope that we made positive contribution to the amazing event.”
He hopes Ngā Puna Hauora will have more opportunities to participate in such events in the future.
“We want to help out in any we can.”
Hotene was joined at the event by trainee interns Asha Chee-Keil (Waikato, Te Āti haunui-a-pāpārangi) and Georgia Grant (Taranaki), and fourth-year students Sam Fraser (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine) and Iritana Bennett-Fakahau (Ngāti Porou).
The expo was organised by Te Wānanga o Raukawa, Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki, Raukawa Whānau Ora and Te Puna Oranga o Ōtaki.