He Wānanga Whakarite: preparing Māori for surgical selection interviews

Māori are significantly under-represented in the surgical workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand. There needs to be more effort and initiative action to address this lack of diversity in order to ultimately achieve proportionality so that more Māori surgeons are available to help treat and care for their communities.

An independent kaupapa Māori wānanga (course) initiative, using a 'by Māori, for Māori' approach, and adhering to tīkanga Māori (Māori lore and protocols) was developed to support and prepare Māori Non-Training Surgical Registrars for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Surgical Education and Training (SET) interviews. This paper reviews the inception of the wānanga, its content, and shares experiences had by attendees.

Those who attended this wānanga agreed unanimously that this initiative dramatically improved their preparation for SET interviews. In 2020, the wānanga produced a significant success rate amongst attendees with 80% of wānanga attendees selected for SET training positions.

This kaupapa Māori initiative illustrates a successful active measure that can be taken to support Māori doctors seeking selection in surgical training programmes. The initiative seeks to address inequity in the surgical workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand.