Seven tertiary students from around New Zealand will travel to the Coromandel on May 8 for Hauora Taiwhenua's first rural school's visit of 2023.

This volunteer-led programme will visit seven schools and two healthcare providers in the rural towns of Ngatea, Thames, Paeroa, Te Aroha, Waihi, Coromandel, Whitianga and Whangamata before returning to Auckland on May 12.

'It's a huge privilege to have the opportunity to return to the rural schools I attended and to give back to the communities that helped shape who I am today," says Lalit Raikwar, a 5th Year Medicine student at Otago University, Thames High School graduate and volunteer for the 2022 Coromandel region trip.

The Rural Health Careers Promotion programme is crucial to Hauora Taiwhenua's efforts to address New Zealand's chronic lack of rural health professionals, particularly acute in the rural region of the Coromandel.

'It will surprise no one that the workforce crisis in general practice throughout New Zealand is worsening. In fact, we in the rural health sector have stopped calling it a crisis and are referring to it as an emergency,” says Hauora Taiwhenua CE, Dr Grant Davidson.

Through hands-on experience with medical and dental equipment, these interactive workshops are an excellent way to engage and inspire secondary school children to consider the various health disciplines available through tertiary education.

The programme is also a practical way for tertiary health students to give back, with many being from rural backgrounds sharing their real-life experiences.

Coming to the Coromandel provides a particularly unique opportunity for the volunteers on this trip, with all the Coromandel schools closing at one point due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

Visiting the Coromandel with this programme, whilst this region is still in recovery from the cyclone offers the chance for this programme to encourage rural students to be a part of the health workforce of the future.

A career that we know is vital to the ongoing health and wellbeing of these often-isolated communities.

Lalit summed up her experience, describing how 'there was a continuous feeling of fulfilment as you interacted with and inspired the next generation of healthcare workers. Above all, there was a feeling of Aroha as you were immersed into each rural community”.