Photo: Supplied / Google Maps
University of Waikato has signed an agreement to investigate whether Whanganui could host medical students as part of their training.
The university is engaging with rural and regional communities throughout the country to finalise where New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine clinical placements will take place.
It has signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Whanganui District Council, Te Ranga Tupua Iwi Collective, Health New Zealand and Whanganui Regional Health Network (WRHN) to explore opportunities for more medical students to train in Whanganui, Rangitīkei, Ruapehu and South Taranaki.
The signatories to the MOU, from left: Katherine Fraser Chapple, Judith Macdonald, David Langford, Professor Jo Lane and Tahinga Hina. Photo: Supplied / Renegade Peach
Coordinated by the council, the organisations have committed to working together to investigate not only potential clinical placements but accommodation options, future job opportunities, community activities and chances for medical students to socialise as well.
University of Waikato Pro-Vice Chancellor of Health Professor Jo Lane said taking a holistic view of potential placement locations was important and aimed at ensuring medical school graduates would want to live and work in regional and rural communities.
"The success of the clinical placement programme isn't just about the placement itself but ensuring the students' hauora [wellbeing] is well looked after too."
In years two to four of the four-year programme, students would learn in rotations throughout regional hospitals and undertake a year-long primary care placement in a regional community.
"We've learned from engagement with our overseas partners that by enabling students to build their clinical knowledge, make professional connections and become part of a community, they'll ultimately be more likely to want to stay in the region in which they're placed," Professor Lane said.
Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford said the MOU was a huge milestone.
"When I first met with Professor Lane, I knew this was a massive opportunity for our community that we couldn't miss. Having an ongoing pipeline of trainee doctors in our region would have such a positive impact on our local health system, especially if they chose to stay here after graduating.
"Local councils aren't involved in delivering health services, but we are well connected with many of the organisations working across this sector. Whanganui District Council was well placed to bring our local health service providers, iwi and Health New Zealand together and coordinate a regional approach to building the relationship with the university."
Co-chair of the Te Ranga Tupua Iwi Collective Pahia Turia spoke of the input provided by iwi Māori health providers.
"Ngā Kaitataki Hauora - iwi Māori health providers - spread across Te Ranga Tupua have been a pivotal voice in the development of this relationship, ensuring our rural communities and services have an opportunity to benefit directly from the medical school.
"Te Maatuku - Iwi Maori Partnership Board - recently released the regional Community Health Plan which prioritises workforce development as a key enabler to support priorities such as rural access and sustainability by growing and supporting the increase of our clinical and non-clinical workforce. We see this as an opportunity to retain and attract skills and talent to our rohe."
From left: Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford, local MP Carl Bates and Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe. Photo: Supplied
'Challenges' from workplace shortages
Health New Zealand group director operations Whanganui Katherine Fraser-Chapple welcomed the collaborative approach.
"Like many rural communities globally, Whanganui and the wider district face challenges with medical workforce shortages, particularly in primary care and rural health services. Increasing the number of medical students training directly in our communities is vital to ensuring sustainable, high-quality healthcare for our region."
Chief executive officer of WRHN Judith Macdonald said the organisation took rural communities' equitable access to a range of healthcare services seriously.
"A key aspiration for our iwi and community leaders is to 'grow our own' workforce. Supporting the establishment of the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine will help fulfil this aspiration by maximising access for local students and for professional health services offering local placements at rural and provincial clinical businesses."
Whanganui MP Carl Bates, who initiated the first discussions about the idea, was pleased the National-led government's commitment to a third medical school had led to a direct benefit for the Whanganui region.
"Thank you to the university for accepting my invitation to visit Whanganui last year to explore this opportunity and to the council and our health services for taking up the opportunity to make Whanganui a centre for future rural general practitioners to be trained," he said.
The agreement provided for the scoping of placement opportunities in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, midwifery and other health professions as appropriate.
The university's exploration of placement locations was underway, and Professor Lane said the door was open to all primary healthcare providers and organisations who want to welcome more medical students to their regions.
Final decisions on placement locations would be made by the middle of next year.
In July, the University of Waikato received the government's support for its plans to develop New Zealand's first graduate-entry medical school, set to open in 2028.
Professor Lane said the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine's curriculum would be designed to produce more graduates who chose to become GPs and who wanted to work in regional and rural communities.
Graduate-entry medical programmes require students to already hold a bachelor's degree. They are the most common model of medical education in Australia and the predominant model of medical education in Canada and the US. This approach had proven to be highly successful in targeting areas with specific need, such as primary care shortages.
