June 03, 2022
Racism blights medical education
A Māori public health expert says it’s critical universities get on top of racist attitudes.
Māori medical students have complained about racist comments in lectures and on social media, often about the Māori and Pasifika Admissions Scheme which aims to ensure the medical workforce matches the population.
Clive Aspin, the associate dean of Māori at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington’s faculty of health, says it’s a reminder universities are bastions of white privilege, and those non-Māori need to learn some new skills.
“They need exposure to what it means to be working in a bicultural country in the 21st century. They need to understand what skills and they need to learn the skills they need to interact with our Māori whānau and provide the right level of care because we know for the last 200 years the level of care provided to Maori has been absolutely inadequate and inappropriate,” Dr Aspin says.