Ep126: Trying times for Māori medics

In Aotearoa-New Zealand, the proportion of doctors identifying as Māori has doubled from where it was a decade ago to over 5 percent. But there is still a long way to go before the workforce is representative of the broader population which is 17 percent Māori.

The Auckland and Otago Medical Schools have in recent years turbocharged their intake of Māori and Pasifika students but these graduates don’t seem to have trickled through to the RACP in great numbers. Just 3.5 percent of general physicians and 4.8 percent of paediatricians identify as Māori, and Pasifika doctors make up a further 1 and 2 percent respectively.

In this podcast, three Māori medics discuss how the culture of training environments can be made more welcoming to junior doctors with diverse ethnic backgrounds. This discussion takes place in light of an independent review into the clinical examination for paediatrics in Aotearoa-New Zealand which found issues with standardization, transparency and cultural safety. 2024 was a tough year for Māori Health more broadly, as it saw the disestablishment of a dedicated Health Authority, Te Aka Whai Ora, after just twelve months of operation. 

Guests
Dr Danny de Lore FRACP (Rotorua Hospital; University of Auckland)
Dr Matthew Wheeler FRACP (Tauranga Hospital; University of Auckland)
Dr Ngaire Keenan PhD (Sydney Children’s Hospital, Westmead; University of Otago)

Production
Produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music provided courtesy of FreeMusicArchive includes ‘Periodicals’, ‘In Paler Skies’ by Blue Dot Sessions and ‘Wake Up’ by Kai Engel. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Subdivision of the Masses’ by Philip Weigl and ‘Abyss’ by Luwaks. Image of Dr Danny de Lore property of RACP
 
Editorial feedback kindly provided by RACP physicians Zac Fuller, Aidan Tan, Hugh Murray, Sasha Taylor, Anne-Marie Juengling and Simeon Wong. Thanks also to RACP staff Nick McCurdy and Sarah Millar. 

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