RACP – Kia ora, Dr Kahlon. Welcome to RACP Specialists Week, and thank you for taking the time to speak with us. To begin, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Dr Kahlon – Kia ora and thank you for having me. I’m originally from the United Kingdom and am a first-generation British Indian – my parents were raised in India. I completed an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at the University of Warwick, followed by a medical degree at Queen’s University Belfast.
What initially drew you to medicine, and what has your training journey looked like?
Honestly, I didn’t grow up wanting to be a doctor. I was always interested in science, which led me to study Biomedical Science. But halfway through that degree, I realised that lab work wasn’t for me. It was actually my parents who encouraged me to apply for medicine during my final year. I was initially hesitant, but applied to four universities and was fortunate to receive an interview at Queen’s University Belfast – the rest is history!
During medical school, I did an elective in Endocrinology at Waikato Hospital, which is when I fell in love with Aotearoa New Zealand. It became a dream of mine to return as a qualified doctor. After working in the UK for two years, I came to New Zealand on a working holiday and started at Palmerston North Hospital. About six months into that trip, COVID hit – and what was meant to be a six-month adventure turned into six years. I’ve since joined the RACP and, after 18 months in Palmerston North, I moved to Christchurch, where I’ve been ever since.
Did you receive any support when transitioning into the New Zealand system?
I felt very supported at Palmerston North Hospital. Luckily, there were five other British doctors who started around the same time, which helped us all feel like we were in it together. I started out as a house officer, and the registrars and SMOs were genuinely interested in supporting and mentoring us.
However, when I joined the RACP, there wasn’t much personal engagement – it was a fairly straightforward sign-up process, and that was it. I think a welcome call or an introductory conversation about what to expect and how the College could support new trainees would have gone a long way. That’s why I really appreciated the NZ Member Engagement team visiting Christchurch Hospital – they spoke with trainees and IMGs, listened to our experiences, answered questions, and just made the College feel more approachable. It was nice to put faces to the organisation.