February 13, 2024
Waikato creates new pathway for akonga Māori into med school
Waikato University and Waikato Tainui have teamed up to create a new path into medical studies for akonga Māori.
Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley today signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Health as part of National’s election commitment to creating a third medical school at the university.
He says Waikato is well placed to plug gaps in the health workforce in both rural and Maori capacity.
“One of the advantages of the University of Waitangi is we already have 26 or 27 percent of Māori students at the university so we have a substantial pool of Maori students to draw from and with a graduate student programme this is an ideal pathway from undergraduate studies into medicine,” Professor Quigley says.
It’s estimated New Zealand is short about 1700 doctors.