Year 10 Te Whe Health Science Exploration Day On 30 March seven of our Year 10 wāhine attended the Whakapiki Ake Te Whe development day run on behalf of the University of Auckland’s Medical and Health Science department.

The programme aims to inspire Māori students in years 10-13 to get more involved in their education and offers pathways into science based subjects for those who are interested. Supported by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, Kia Ora Hauora and St John Tauranga, the programme is also an opportunity to provide rangatahi with Māori role models within the health sector.

During the event, students from different Bay of Plenty schools were taught how to insert IV lines, carry out first aid and CPR, how to use defibrillators, and how the ambulances and rescue helicopters are utilised in emergencies.  Ashana Watene, one of the Tauranga Girls’ College students who attended the course, says she could see herself becoming a paramedic and that the course was an enriching experience. Her personal favourite part was getting a tour of one of the St John ambulances. “I’ve never been inside an ambulance before, so I found it really interesting to see what was inside,” she reflects. Taimana Randall, another TGC student who attended, says her favourite part was learning how to use IV lines and surgical bone drills.

“Even if you’re not looking to go into a health science career, the course is still very interesting. It explains lots of different subject pathways which is really helpful,” says Taimana.  Ashana agrees, saying she would recommend the course even if you weren’t interested in a medical career. “It’s always good to have lots of people with basic first-aid knowledge in case of an emergency. I think it really helped to build my confidence too.”

Some tips the girls brought back from the event were for students to get their driver licences ASAP, especially if they wanted to be a paramedic as the job can require lots of driving. Another focus of the day was to be purposeful in choosing school subjects as having strong pathways can really help students to succeed in their future careers. Science, Maths and English rich subjects are the most beneficial to students seeking to study health sciences in the future.

Overall, the day was a great success and left our wāhine with lots of new skills and big ideas as to where their future career pathways may lead. Whakapiki Ake Te Whe’s incorporation of Māori culture in health sciences creates opportunities for rangatahi to build their knowledge and embrace their diverse backgrounds. The girls are looking forward to seeing what the programme has to offer next year!

Ella Mitchell