Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background?
I grew up in New Brighton in Christchurch, before coming to uni it was the only place I had ever lived. It was a very close-knit community growing up as my Dad was part of the local surf club, so they are like my second family. Growing up I spent a lot of time with my grandparents due to my parents work and issue with their divorce, which means I am very close with them and they have been hugely supportive of me and everything I've set out to achieve. I went to an girl's only high school. The teachers there were really encouraging of attending university and in my last year of high school they pushed for me to attend university as they could see I had the potential but was lacking the motivation and heading down a bad road. I wouldn't say I grew up with a lot of money, as my parents were divorced they didn't have any spare money so we only really had the basics. But we weren't poor, we annually went on camping trips with family friends but going away anywhere else wasn't an option.
What made you decide to do Pharmacy?
When I was in my last year of high school I had no idea what I wanted to do but university didn't appeal to me due to not thinking I would have a good support network as we were having some major family issues and financially it didn't seem like a safe possibility to be away from my home. The careers advisor at my high school asked me "what interests you and what am you good at?" and I replied with I'm interested in drugs and I'm good at chemistry. So she applied for me to attend the R.E.A.C.H programme down here at Otago. This increased my interest in coming to Otago to study pharmacy and made me realise how much support is offered here at the university.
What do you think are the specific benefits for Māori studying Pharmacy?
As there is such a low number of Māori pharmacists we are all very connected and supportive of one another. As the scope in which pharmacists are able to practice in is becoming more and more diverse, there are currently endless possibilities toward what you may want to do with your career. There is a large push for Māori pharmacists and all pharmacists really to be working more so in the community with whānau instead of sitting in a store all day. So pharmacy is a great career for those who want to be working with people and their families to improve their health outcomes and the overall health statistics in New Zealand. Also there is the Māori pharmacist association which is for all Māori pharmacists and students and this again is a good support network, as a student, it also gives you opportunities to contribute to Māori health and be aware of Māori health initiatives that are out there or in development. Also gives you insight to the diverse career pathways available to pharmacists.
What did you know about Pharmacy before you started your BPharm?
Not much. I knew pharmacists worked in hospitals and community pharmacies but I didn't know exactly what those jobs entailed or the level of knowledge these pharmacists had to have. Since being in the pharmacy school I've become aware of how broad the profession is and how there is really endless opportunities within the profession because of its diversity. If I never want to work In a dispensary I don't have to. If I have a passion to specialise in an area of health, I can.
Where do you hope a career in Pharmacy will take you?
Right now I don't have a five year plan as there is so much I can do after graduation. I intend on starting in community pharmacy to see how that fits with my lifestyle and my goals. I want to eventually work in mental health whether that will be in the community setting or hospital I'm not sure but that's a field im very passionate about. I also want to be able to work closely with family of those with mental health disorders to educate them on these conditions and how to best manage them. Also I want to do something in the lines of getting high school students to consider tertiary studies in health similarly to what I had in my last year of high school.
Why did you choose Otago?
The options to do the BPharm degree were Otago or Auckland. Dunedin was closer to home and as money was always going to be an issue for me it was also a cheaper place to live for four years. As I had been on the R.E.A.C.H trip down here I was also familiar with the services provided here for health science students and I knew I was going to need all the support I could get with my studies and living home, so really it was the only option for me.
What are the best things about being a Pharmacy student at Otago?
For me it's the support networks that are down here. Everyone in the pharmacy school knows each other and we all get along well and are all working towards similar goals so we support each other a lot. Also the Māori students within the school, even though there is only a small number now it is growing and once again we are all close, all friends and we do work together to achieve the goal of graduating. This also means that even after we leave we will still have each other's support and encouragement and we will eventually all work together to change the health outcomes for Māori.
Do you have any plans for your internship?
Not really. Im hoping for the internship in Greymouth as it provides opportunity to experience hospital and community placement. I like the idea of working in a rural community pharmacy which is offered at Greymouth. If I don't get that placement I will try for somewhere rural in the north island to experience living somewhere different and also it provides you the opportunity to work more closely with the community which I like. I also like the idea of going back to New Brighton and working in the local pharmacy.
If you could talk to your 1st year self, what piece of advice would you give?
Take more study breaks as it isn't as bad as you anticipate it all to be. First year is a good opportunity to make good friends and experience what Dunedin has to offer and I wish I spent more time doing that than sitting behind a desk.