Te Waka Hauora Pānui: June 2026
Kia hiwa rā
Kia hiwa rā
Kia hiwa rā ki tēnei tuku
Kia hiwa rā ki tērā tuku
Kei whakapurua koe, whakapurua koe
Tihei mauri ora!
It is hard to believe we are now in June and already approaching the halfway point of the year – it has certainly been a busy one so far.
In early March, I wrote to you all regarding the heightened concerns within the College. That message was a reminder for us to remain anchored in the significant Māori-led and equity-focused gains, as well as the ongoing mahi taking place across the College. It also reaffirmed that our presence as Māori is grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, alongside our inherent right to tino rangatiratanga across training, leadership, and service to our communities. My continued call is that we stay connected, protect the work already underway, and keep driving the changes needed to ensure Māori can train, lead, and practise medicine in ways that truly serve our people.
I acknowledge that for those preparing to sit examinations, this environment can add additional pressure. I encourage you to remain focused on the preparation and effort that has brought you to this point. The business of the College continues, and examination preparation and delivery are proceeding as planned. I wish all candidates sitting examinations in the coming months every success – your hard work and commitment will stand you in good stead.
We have also begun important conversations about ensuring Māori candidates have access to Māori examiners wherever possible. If you are considering becoming an examiner and feel this kaupapa resonates with you, please reach out to Te Waka Hauora to express your interest. Strengthening Māori representation within these spaces remains a key priority.
Recently, I had the privilege of attending the RACP Pacific Trainees' Day – an inspiring and energising gathering. It has further strengthened my excitement for the upcoming Māori Trainee Wānanga in August, and I look forward to welcoming many of you there. Please continue encouraging and supporting Māori trainees to attend this important event. For trainees who may require additional support to attend, please reach out to Te Waka Hauora for a support letter or Dawn, Lead Fellow Māori Health can talk with your RMO department directly.
There is also exciting work progressing within the College on the development of an Indigenous curriculum. This is an important and meaningful piece of mahi that aligns closely with the work of the Medical Council of New Zealand in relation to Hauora Māori, cultural safety, and cultural capability. It reflects the College's continued commitment to advocating for and creating better outcomes for Māori trainees, Fellows, and ultimately, our patients.
A fortnight ago, the Māori Health Committee met to progress its ongoing work and strategic priorities. While we farewell members who are moving on to new opportunities, we also look forward to welcoming new voices and perspectives. If you are interested in becoming involved in the Committee, or would like to learn more about the Māori Health Registrar role that is currently being advertised, please do not hesitate to contact the Māori Health Committee or Te Waka Hauora for further information.
As we move into the next phase of the year and approach Matariki, this is a timely reminder to reconnect, to wānanga, and to support one another through what is often a busy and demanding period. Dawn, our Lead Fellow Māori Health, alongside Te Waka Hauora, will be hosting a series of networking events across the motu to bring us together. Our strength continues to lie in our connections and in how we uplift one another.
Ngā mihi ki a koutou mō tō koutou mahi kaha ki ngā hōhipera, ki ngā tauira hoki huri noa i te motu.
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
Dr Matt Wheeler
RACP Māori Health Committee Chair
The Māori Health Committee upholds Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi and the College’s commitment to Māori as tangata whenua | Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. Established in 2007, the Committee operates in a kaupapa Māori way guided by tikanga Māori, and became a standing Board Committee in 2019.
Haere rā – Farewelling outgoing members
We acknowledge the following members who are concluding their time on the Māori Health Committee:
- Dr Danny De Lore – Deputy-Chair (Paediatrics & Child Health)
- Dr Myra Ruka – Adult Medicine Division and Education Strategic Partnership Group representative
- Dr Fergus Stewart – Advanced Trainee representative (Adult Medicine)
- Dr Jade Tamatea – Adult Medicine Division and Education Strategic Partnership Group representative
As you step down from the Committee, we extend our sincere gratitude for your collective leadership, commitment, and contribution to Māori health within the College. Each of you has brought valuable insight, thoughtful kōrero, and a strong commitment to kaupapa Māori governance. Your combined decades of service to this Committee has been instrumental in advancing the College’s commitment to Māori health equity and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and in strengthening the development of the Māori physician workforce. We thank you for your time, energy, and leadership, and acknowledge the lasting impact of your contributions. Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua.
Join the Māori Health Committee
As we farewell these valued committee members, we now turn to the next stage of the journey. We are currently recruiting new members to strengthen the kaupapa and ensure sustained Māori leadership and representation within the Committee. If you'd like to join the Māori Health Committee, please email your completed expression of interest form (DOC) to maorihealthcommittee@racp.org.nz
Committee members
We thank the Māori Health Committee members:
- Dr Matthew Wheeler, Chair, Fellow representative – haematology, general and acute care medicine
- Dr Deneille Bligh, Advanced Trainee representative – adult medicine
- Dr Kristy MacFarlane, Fellow representative – gastroenterology
- Dr Diana McNeill, Fellow representative – general and acute care medicine
- Dr Curtis Walker, Fellow representative – nephrology, General and acute care medicine
- Dr Nathaniel Triffitt, Advanced Trainee representative, adult medicine and dermatology
Pictured: The Māori Health Committee (left to right): Dr Matthew Wheeler, Dr Deneille Bligh, Dr Kristy MacFarlane, Dr Curtis Walker, Dr Diana McNeill and Dr Nathaniel Triffitt
Kia ora koutou,
Ko Tutamoe te maunga
Ko Waikaraka te marae
Ko Kaihu te awa
Ko Kai Iwi te roto
Ko Te Roroa te hapū
Ngāti Whātua te iwi
Ko Dawn-Louise tōku ingoa. I am honoured to continue serving as the Lead Fellow Māori Health at the RACP, alongside my clinical role as a rehabilitation medicine physician in Tāmaki Makaurau. It continues being a privilege to work alongside the Māori Health Committee, Te Waka Hauora and many of you across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge all trainees who have recently completed the Paediatric Clinical Examinations – a significant milestone after months of hard work and preparation. To all adult medicine trainees preparing for the upcoming clinical examinations, I wish you all the very best. Exam season can be challenging, and I encourage you to continue leaning on your supports, peers, supervisors and whānau during this time. Please remember that sometimes a kōrero or connection can make all the difference.
It has also been wonderful connecting through our recent Māori networking event held in Tāmaki Makaurau. We know balancing professional and whānau commitments can be challenging, and we look forward to welcoming even more of you at upcoming events. We are also open to understanding better days or times of the week. We welcome feedback on preferred days and times, as we continue planning events that work for you. We look forward to continuing these events across the motu over the coming months. Please keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities highlighted throughout this eBulletin.
Behind the scenes, we are also busy preparing for the upcoming Māori Trainee Wānanga in August. This kaupapa continues growing each year and remains an important space for whakawhanaungatanga, leadership, cultural connection, and professional development for Māori trainees across specialties. We are looking forward to seeing as many Māori trainees as possible. There should not be a barrier to you attending and if you would like support, please reach out. You can find out more about the wānanga in the eBulletin.
I also want to acknowledge the ongoing work to strengthen Māori leadership pathways within the College. Applications are currently open for the Māori Health Registrar role, which offers an important opportunity to contribute to strategic Māori health initiatives, advocacy, trainee support, and system change within the RACP. I strongly encourage any current or soon to be Advanced Trainee in 2027 interested to consider applying. If you want to know more and would like a chat, please reach out.
As always, I am here to support our Māori caucus. Please feel free to reach out anytime.
Ngā manaakitanga
Dr Dawn-Louise Adair
Hurry, applications are open until Monday, 8 June 2026
An exciting opportunity is currently available for an RACP Māori Advanced Trainee to undertake the Māori Health Registrar – Hauora Māori role.
This unique 0.5 FTE role is designed to sit alongside clinical advanced training within Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand over a one-year term. The position focuses on supporting Māori trainee development, progressing Hauora Māori and equity initiatives, and contributing to key Māori kaupapa across the College.
Working alongside the Lead Fellow Māori Health and the Tumuaki/Head of Māori and Equity, the role includes:
- Māori trainee support and mentorship
- hauora Māori and cultural safety initiatives
- committee and relationship-building mahi
- support for events including the Māori Health Hui and Trainee Wānanga.
This opportunity would suit a Māori RACP Advanced Trainee passionate about Hauora Māori, equity, and supporting Māori within the physician workforce.
Find out more
We welcome proposed updates from the Medical Council of New Zealand that strengthen expectations around cultural competence, cultural safety and equitable hauora outcomes for Māori. With support from Te Waka Hauora, the Policy and Advocacy Team provided a submission supporting the updated draft statements and their focus on equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments, and culturally safe healthcare.
Read submission
Following a successful pilot, the Māori Health Committee has endorsed the mentoring program for ongoing delivery. If you are interested in being mentored or becoming a mentor, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch if you would like to be involved.
Don't miss this opportunity to attend the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress (PRIDoC) in Taiwan from 30 November to 4 December 2026.
Two funded places are available for RACP trainees, including registration and a contribution towards travel and accommodation costs. Successful applicants will be selected through a merit-based process.
Expressions of interest are open until Friday, 10 July 2026.
Apply now
RACP trainees employed by Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand will no longer need to pay standard training fees directly. These fees will now be invoiced to Te Whatu Ora under a new billing arrangement.
Trainees should ensure their MCNZ number is correct in MyRACP to avoid invoices being issued directly to them. If details are missing or incorrect, invoices may still be issued directly to trainees. Examination fees and any outstanding balances remain payable directly to the College.
Trainees not employed by Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand will continue paying fees directly and seek reimbursement from their employer.
Te Waka Hauora works in partnership with the Māori Health Committee to improve Māori health equity and support the growth of the Māori physician workforce.
We would like to introduce two new members: Shirley Simmonds, Cultural Safety Lead and Dr Nic Sinnott, Māori and Pacific Pipeline Lead.
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Tēnā tātau!
Ko Nic Sinnott tōku ingoa, he uri ahau o Ngāti Tūwharetoa me Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa. Ko tāku i tēnei tūranga mahi, he whakahou, he whakatakoto i te ara haere mō ō tātau uri Māori me ō tātau uri Pasifika e ako ana i tēnei kāreti.
My name is Nic Sinnott and my role within the College is to design and implement a pathway for Māori and Pacific trainees to enter and continue through the College.
This is very exciting and important mahi and I really look forward to being able to work with all stages of the journey to design something that works for all.
Shirley is a mother of two sons, Tamihana and Raukawa, and has worked in the area of kauapa Māori health research for around 20 years. Shirley has a new role as Cultural Safety Lead within Te Waka Hauora. She will support the development of cultural safety and Hauora Māori across several areas of the College, including staff, supervisor, and senior leadership training, and will facilitate the development of a draft Indigenous Health Framework, strengthening the College's commitment to cultural safety and Indigenous health.
Shirley is a passionate advocate of te reo Māori and of ways to foster our connection with the natural environment. She lives with her whānau in Ōtaki, Aotearoa.
Hāere mai ki a rāua!
Registrations are now open for the RACP Māori Trainee Wānanga in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, which will be held Thursday, 13 and Friday, 14 August 2026.
This two-day wānanga is a unique opportunity to strengthen connection to te ao Māori, build whakawhanaungatanga, and support your professional development within the College. We encourage early registration and leave planning, with letters of support available through the registration form.
Register now
Pictured: Attendees from the 2025 wānanga
We are hosting an online prevocational webinar on Tuesday, 9 June for medical students and prevocational doctors. We would be very grateful if you could help promote this opportunity to any early career doctors in your networks.
The session will support those exploring their training pathways, with Māori Fellows and trainees sharing their experiences, insights, and advice on physician and paediatric training within the College. This builds on our well-received 2025 webinar series.
Event details
Date: Tuesday, 9 June 2026
Time: 7pm – 8pm (NZST)
Format: Online by Zoom
Register now
Te Waka Hauora is looking forward to support the upcoming Wānganga-a-Tau in Rotorua over Matariki weekend, where we will be running a careers booth. We will also be joined by several local members who will be supporting the day’s sessions.
Last year’s event was highly successful, with over 30 tauira engaging with us. We extend our thanks to Dr Fergus Stewart and Dr Nathaniel Triffitt for their support in 2025.
Our involvement reflects the College’s ongoing commitment to walking alongside Māori doctors at every stage of their journey – from early engagement with medical students through to career development and progression.
The 2026 Te ORA Hui-ā-Tau and Scientific Conference will be held from Friday, 4 to Sunday, 6 September at Waipapa Marae, University of Auckland. This year marks the 30th year of this hui, which celebrates what it means to thrive as Māori in medicine through connection, learning, and kōrero spanning past, present, and future. As part of the program, there will also be a careers stall for tauira and prevocational doctors exploring medical training pathways. If you are attending and would like to support with the RACP stall, please contact us.
Te Rā o Māui Pomare will be held on Saturday, 27 June at Owae Marae in Taranaki. Marking the 90th anniversary of these commemorations, which acknowledge the legacy of Aotearoa’s first Māori medical doctor. As of the publication date, the website for this event is not live, however, keep an eye out for updates via Owae Marae’s Facebook page.
If you are attending and want to be contacted to other members going, please send your mobile number to HauoraMaori@racp.org.nz and we will add you to the WhatsApp chat.
Pictured: Last year’s event was attended by RACP Māori Lead Fellow Dr Dawn-Louise Adair, Māori Health Committee Member Dr Jade Tamatea, and RACP consumer representative Ngapei Ngatai.
A series of regional networking hui will be held across the motu in 2026 to foster connection and strengthen our Māori membership community. They are held to support connection kanohi ki te kanohi throughout the year.
Please save the dates in your calendar:
- Christchurch – Tuesday, 28 July
- Wellington – Tuesday, 25 August
- Hamilton – Tuesday, 22 September
- Northland – Tuesday, 17 November
We would like to give a huge thank you to Dr Liza Edmonds and Dr Lela Yap for their support in coordinating the Māori and Pacific Paediatrics Mock Exam this year.
These exams provide an invaluable opportunity for trainees to build confidence and strengthen their exam preparation in a supportive learning environment
Pictured (from left to right): Dr Liza Edmonds, Dr Ripkea Moriarty and Dr Lela Yap
Dr Colette Muir recently presented the Packing Your Developmental Bag webinar, which supports paediatric trainees preparing for their DCE. Like with the mock exams, opportunities like this are incredibly valuable in helping trainees feel more prepared and supported through key stages of training.
We extend our sincere thanks to Dr Muir for generously sharing her time, knowledge and experience. We are also deeply grateful to the many Fellows who continue to support and uplift the next generation of Māori and Pacific trainees through their mentorship, teaching and leadership.
The second Pacific Trainees' Day was held on 24 April in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, bringing together Pacific trainee interns, trainees and Fellows from across Aotearoa and Australia for a day of connection, learning, and whakawhanaungatanga.
It was encouraging to see the strong sense of community throughout the day, alongside the generosity of speakers who shared their experiences and insights with attendees. Events like this play a critical role in strengthening visibility, connection, and belonging for Pacific trainees within the College.
The event was also attended by the Māori Health Committee Chair, reflecting the importance of continuing to strengthen allyship and relationships between our Māori and Pacific caucuses as the Pacific trainee space continues to grow.
Our first Networking Hui was recently held in Tāmaki Makaurau, bringing together Māori trainees and Fellows for an evening of whakawhanaungatanga and connection. The hui provided an informal space to strengthen relationships, share experiences, and connect across specialties and stages of training. We will be running numerous other hui throughout the year so keep an out for one near you!
Pictured: Attendees at the Tāmaki Makaurau event
There are a range of initiatives available to support and enrich the training experience of Māori trainees.
Find out more
Te Waka Hauora provides support across the trainee journey.
Coaching support
Professional coaching is available to Māori trainees in partnership with a registered psychologist.
Coaching can support:
- exam preparation
- leadership development
- work-life balance
- managing workplace stress and burnout
- clinical and professional confidence.
Indigenous Leadership Fund
Financial assistance to support conference attendance, leadership development, and other opportunities that enrich the training experience.
Awards, scholarships, grants and prizes
RACP Foundation offers various funding opportunities, including the RACP Indigenous Health Scholarship Program and Aotearoa New Zealand Education Development Grant.
Mentoring, pastoral care and ongoing support
Māori trainees and Fellows are encouraged to connect with Māori mentors and peers. Te Waka Hauora can assist in identifying appropriate support within specialties or regions.
More information is available on the RACP website or by contacting the Te Waka Hauora team directly.
Research Awards and Career Grants
Through the RACP Foundation, we're able to offer financial support to trainees and Fellows pursuing careers in medical research. Over 50 different Fellowships, scholarships and grants are available annually, totalling over $2.5 million in funding.
Apply now and mark your calendars for the following opportunities:
Find out more
Have a question for the RACP Te Waka Hauora team
We're here to support you. Please contact us if you need assistance by emailing us on: hauoramaori@racp.org.nz
Do you need someone to talk to?
As healthcare workers who dedicate our lives to helping others, it’s important to take the time to care for ourselves. We would like to remind everyone that it's okay to not be okay. If you need someone to talk to, you can reach out to the RACP Support Program. It's a free, 24/7 and completely confidential support service that is delivered externally through Converge International.
Whether you have something worrying on your mind, are finding getting out of bed to be a struggle, or just feel like talking to someone for helpful, judgement-free advice, this free support service may be just what you need.
Make an appointment or speak directly with a Converge consultant on 0800 666 367
Any information you give to Converge is completely confidential between you and your consultant.