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Providing appropriate mentoring and academic support is essential for encouraging the next generation of medical and health science students, says Dr Teuila Percival, director of Pacific Health at the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health.
Dr Teuila Percival.
Teuila leads the Pacific component of the University of Auckland’s ‘Vision 2020’ strategy. Its goal is for Maori and Pacific peoples to make up at least 10% of the health workforce by that date. At present less than 3% of doctors are, so there is still plenty of work ahead.
Teuila says that in recent years, the university has significantly strengthened the academic support it offers Pacific students. For example, it now offers a foundation course, the Certificate in Health Sciences, to bridge the transition between school and first year degree programmes. The Certificate was introduced in 1999 and its academic support elements have been significantly strengthened since 2004.
The rationale is that if Pacific learners move into first year health sciences they can then go on and study medicine, nursing and pharmacy. Pacific learners can access additional academic help in the form of tutorials and one-on-one sessions, if they need them. The Pacific learners come together regularly as a group too at cohort lunches and social events. The aim is to prepare them for the academic rigours of first year degree programme where they will have to compete with around 900 other students for 140 places in medical school.
Teuila is a clinical leader in Pacific health, working as Consultant Pediatrician at Kidz First Children’s hospital and serving as a trustee of Pacific PHO Ta’a Pasifika.
“University teaches you the knowledge you need and a way to learn, but it doesn’t teach you that professionalism. You learn that by being around other people who are more senior. That’s a really important aspect of mentoring and we need to develop that more.”
“I always tell students that health is a fantastic career. It’s not easy, but if they can stick at it and get through, it’s offers wonderful opportunities,” says Teuila.
