More trainee doctors
More trainee doctors are working alongside trained medical professionals through a new joint programme with the Bay of Plenty District Health Board and Auckland University .
Fifth year medical students who are working alongside local health professionals as part of a new training initiative with the BOPDHB and University of Auckland .
The fifth year medical students in the new Regional-Rural Programme were welcomed with a pohiri at Whakatāne Hospital earlier this year .
Guests included the University ' s Vice-Chancellor , Professor Stuart McCutcheon , the Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences , Professor John Fraser and East Coast MP , the Hon Anne Tolley .
A pohiri was held at Whakatāne Hospital recently to welcome new medical students who will be training there .
They were joined by BOPDHB Board Chair Sally Webb , CEO Helen Mason , as well as local iwi and other dignitaries .
In recent years , University of Auckland students have taken part in a six week rural health immersion programme . This is the first year of the new Regional-Rural Programme where 18 Auckland students will spend the year working at both Tauranga and Whakatāne hospitals as well as in GP clinics in Whakatāne and surrounding towns .
With the addition of this new programme , a total of 58 medical students from the University will be working at the BOPDHB this year , including 24 fourth year and 16 sixth year students .
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The Head of BOPDHB Clinical School at Tauranga Hospital , Professor Peter Gilling , says " Experience suggests that some of the students will return to the area and other rural regions later on as graduate doctors and this will enhance the medical workforce in the Bay of Plenty and rural New Zealand ." Auckland University Dean of Medical and Health Sciences , Professor John Fraser and the University ' s Vice-Chancellor , Professor Stuart McCutcheon at the pohiri marking the new training initiative .