20 Years Of ProCare Scholarships For University Of Auckland Medical Students
This year these scholarships are awarded to Maaike de Goede (Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Haua) and Zion Ioka (Pacific).
Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at ProCare says: 'Twenty years ago, we set out to support Māori and Pacific students on their journey to becoming doctors in partnership with the University of Auckland. Supporting our future workforce, particularly our Māori and Pacific students, is a key priority for us. Having our workforce reflect the community we serve means patients have better healthcare experiences and ultimately live better, healthier lives."
'Maaike and Zion are incredibly hard workers who are dedicated to their studies and to helping the community. We are thrilled to recognise and celebrate their inspiring efforts, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for them,' Norwell concludes.
Mihi Blair, Kaiwhakahaere Hauora Māori, Mana Taurite (GM of Māori Health and Equity), at ProCare says: 'These awards both commend the success of our top Māori and Pacific students and aid them in their journey to become medical professionals, helping to ensure that Māori and Pacific are represented in the medical field.
Our Māori and Pacific tauira (students) succeed not just for themselves, but for their whānau and wider communities. We are proud to walk alongside them as they prepare to serve and uplift their communities,' concludes Blair.
Maaike and Zion have exciting goals for the future, which the scholarships will assist them with.
Māori Scholarship recipient, Maaike de Goede, says: 'I plan to continue working in rural hospitals in the Bay of Plenty. My current potential specialisations are intensive care, anaesthetics, or paediatrics (or combining them!). However, I am still open-minded and enjoying where my career will take me.
'Having a workforce that reflects our society doesn't just mean we look the same. It also refers to our experiences. Understanding, relating to, and empathising with people only enhances whakawhanaungatanga. There is a whakatauki that I like to tell myself when things are tough, whether it be life in general, work or school - Kia mate ururoa, kei mate wheke - fight like a shark, don't give up like an octopus," concludes de Goede.
Pacific Scholarship recipient, Zion Ioka, says: 'This has to be the most full-circle moment throughout my time in the MBcHB, as I entered this degree with every intention of graduating and completing my specialty training as a GP. My dream is to open a GP clinic in West Auckland with the intention of serving the community that I was born and raised in.
'I would like to thank everyone involved for awarding me the ProCare Top Pacific GP placement award in 2024,' Ioka concluded.
This award was established in 2003 and is a significant academic accolade. The prize is intended to foster interest in General Practice medicine as a career path for Māori and Pacific students.
About ProCare
ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi. As New Zealand's largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to nearly 700,000 patients across Auckland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
BestStart Raises $91,000 For Whānau Āwhina Plunket
BestStart early education centres around the country have raised a total of $91,000 to support Whānau Āwhina Plunket, thanks to their 2025 BestStart Butterfly Appeal. The money helps Plunket to deliver free community services for families, including home visits, new parent groups and parenting programmes. 'This is the 10th year that BestStart have supported us with this amazing appeal – and they generated a record-breaking total this year – we are so grateful for their efforts, '' says Fiona Kingsford, Whānau Āwhina Plunket Chief Executive. 'All sorts of fun activities for tamariki go into the BestStart Butterly Appeal fundraiser, from face- painting to teddy bear picnics and more, we truly appreciate it.' Over the past 10 years, BestStart centres around the country have raised an incredible $483,000 to support Whānau Āwhina Plunket's community services, Fiona says. 'BestStart and Plunket are both committed to making a positive difference in the lives of tamariki and their whānau. Our butterfly logo symbolises growth, care and transformation; values shared by both organisations.' BestStart Howick topped the appeal, raising $2,043. Each team member cooked a dish from a different culture, and they held a Friday takeaway night for local families. 'We are so happy to be this year's top fundraiser, as it so aptly matches with our philosophy of 'Bringing communities together from the heart'. This time it was bringing communities together through delicious food,' says Centre Manager, Philomena Lobo. About Whānau Āwhina Plunket: Pēpi, tamariki and whānau are at the heart of Whānau Āwhina Plunket. The charity is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest health and wellbeing support service for tamariki – seeing 290,000 under-fives in 2024. About three-quarters of newborns are enrolled with Whānau Āwhina Plunket each year. Our nurses provide clinical assessments, and along with Kaiāwhina and Community Karitāne, support whānau and families, through home and clinic visits, as well as PlunketLine 0800 933 922, a free 24/7 telephone advice service for parents. Our website is one of the country's most widely read digital child health resources, with 1.8 million visits each year. It is available data-free through the Zero Data portal at and you can choose to view it in English or te reo Māori.
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 7 August
Photo: 123RF A number of teachers in West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea are owed over 45 million kina (US$10.8 million) in outstanding salaries. NBC reported these teachers are mostly new graduates or those who have re-entered the teaching service. Acting executive manager for the Division of Education, Vincent Kalatia, said most of those affected are elementary school teachers whose wages have not been backdated. He said these outstanding salaries date back as far as 2012. Kalatia said the Provincial Government is doing its best to clear this backlog of claims but has limited funding. The final farewell for Pacific music legend George "Fiji" Veikoso, who passed away on 24 July, is set to take place next Tuesday at Suva's Vodafone Arena. Family, friends and the community are able to attend, with doors opening from 7:30am while the ground floor seating is reserved for close family and friends. The funeral procession is expected to arrive by 8:30am, with the official service starting at 9am. Fiji will then be laid to rest "among his ancestors". His family has offered their thanks for the outpouring of love and support. Samoa's acting general health director Tagaloa Dr Robert Thomsen says public updates on the dengue outbreak may be slow as all information must be verified before release. There has been criticism over how quickly information is released by the Ministry of Health. More than 5000 people have been clinically diagnosed with dengue fever since January, with new cases still coming. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is urging the public to avoid traditional healing methods, warning they could do more harm than good. Tagaloa said the outbreak is expected to peak in the next three weeks before case numbers begin to drop. As Papua New Guinea approaches 50 years of independence, Prime Minister James Marape is calling for greater Pacific solidarity in the face of growing geopolitical tensions. Speaking to PMN News , Marape emphasises regional unity ahead of the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. This comes amid concerns hosts Solomon Islands, as an ally of China, may not allow Taiwan into the country during the event. While Taiwan is not a Forum member, for many years it has attended the summit to speak with member nations on the fringes of the event. Marape confirmed that PNG had sent official advice to Solomon Islands, reinforcing the importance of the Forum's collective approach. The Supreme Court has found Vanuatu MP Seoule Simeon guilty of one count of theft in relation to a government-owned Mitsubishi L200 pickup. Local media reported a second charge of deception against Simeon has been dismissed by the court. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, 27 August.
Scoop
11 hours ago
- Scoop
Birds In Auckland Study Sang Fewer, Simpler Songs After Disturbed Sleep
Birds that missed out on sleep changed the way they communicated in a study by scientists at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. The research, led by Dr Juli Gaviraghi Mussoi, of the School of Biological Sciences, found that common mynas sang fewer and simpler songs after a single night of disturbed sleep. Their calls also changed in pitch and duration – the sounds were longer and lower – potentially affecting how they interact socially. 'We've all had days where we feel flat and unmotivated after a rough night,' says Mussoi. 'What we're seeing is that birds have those days too.' Bird vocalisations serve a range of purposes, from attracting mates to warning of danger and maintaining group cohesion. Producing these sounds requires precise timing and coordination between the brain, lungs and throat muscles. For birds of many species, a poor-quality song could be a threat to reproduction and survival. The researchers tested the mynas after different types of sleep disruption: a full night, the first half of the night, or the second half. All types affected the birds' behaviour the next day, though a full night of disruption had the strongest impact. 'We also noticed the birds rested more during the day, suggesting they were trying to recover' says Mussoi. She cautioned this was the first study of how sleep disruption affected birdsong complexity, with more studies needed for firm conclusions. While common mynas are highly adaptable and thrive in urban settings, the findings raise concerns about native species that may be more vulnerable to ongoing light and noise pollution. 'This research shows that even short-term sleep loss changes how birds communicate,' Mussoi says. 'In cities, these disruptions aren't rare. They're constant.' Mussoi conducted the research for her PhD and has since become a lecturer at the University of Waikato. Associate Professor Kristal Cain and Professor Margaret Stanley were also part of the study. The project had one other outcome: Mussoi's sixth bird tattoo to commemorate a research project. The picture of mynas adds to images representing studies of Australian magpies (sleep deprivation), pīwakawaka or fantails (song and reproductive success), budgies (visual acuity), great tits (cognition and problem solving) and Southern Lapwings (effects of human presence on behaviour). Where did she get her great interest in birds? 'I grew up in a small city in southern Brazil, and as a child, I spent nearly every day at my grandmother's farm,' she says. 'I'd spend hours with the animals, playing with frogs and watching birds – that's where my love for birds began.' Later, at university, she discovered the incredible diversity of bird species and was captivated by their behaviours, especially the colours and elaborate courtship dances of Birds-of-paradise. 'That mix of early experiences and scientific curiosity is what keeps me so fascinated by birds.' Learn more about the use of animals in research and teaching at the University of Auckland
