The success of the Bay of Plenty District Health Board as a teaching and research facility for the University of Auckland's Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences has resulted in it officially becoming a Clinical Campus.

This makes it the fifth such campus in New Zealand and only the second outside of Auckland.

The change from Clinical Site to Clinical Campus recognises the expansion of the faculty's training opportunities, research activities and presence in the region.

Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences deputy dean Distinguished Professor Ian Reid says the Bay of Plenty DHB is a major teaching and research facility for the faculty, and this change acknowledges its significance.

'It also recognises the major contribution the Bay of Plenty DHB makes to our clinical training, the excellence of the staff, and the outstanding teaching they are able to provide.”

Because the site is now an official Clinical Campus, Professor Peter Gilling has been appointed to the new role of Assistant Dean Bay of Plenty. Based at Tauranga Hospital, he is both a Professor of Surgery at the University's School of Medicine and the current Head of the Bay of Plenty DHB Clinical School.

Considered one of New Zealand's most knowledgeable and experienced doctors, Peter has helped to oversee the steady expansion of the University's specialist training hub in the Bay of Plenty over the past eight years.

'We are very pleased to have achieved this milestone in our development and are looking forward to increasing collaboration with the University. This moves our relationship to another level,” he says.

This year, the Bay of Plenty DHB will welcome 58 University of Auckland medical students on year-long placements, alongside students from other health programmes including nursing, pharmacy, and dietetics.

Since last year these placements were expanded to include students from all three clinical training years (fourth, fifth and sixth year students). Also for the second year-running, fifth year medical students will spend three months at Whakatane Hospital completing hospital based and general practice based placements.

Bay of Plenty becomes the University's second regional Clinical Campus after Waikato. The Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences also operates Clinical Campuses at Auckland, Waitemata and Counties Manukau DHBs.