Māori medical students are interning at Hawke's Bay District Health Board as part of a programme aimed at increasing Māori health workforce.
Seven interns from the Universities of Otago, Auckland and Waikato who study medicine, health science and psychology, are spending their summer in Hawke's Bay working with the region's health professionals on projects aimed at improving Māori health outcomes.
One project students Milly Bowen and Selwyn Te Paa are currently working on is analysing data of lung and breast cancer patients to see if there are hidden inequities between Māori and non-Māori patients in terms of treatment options and stage of presentation.
Students have also had the opportunity to interview patients from around Hawke's Bay.
"The Māori health team and kaumātua have been a breath of fresh air from our conventional medical training, so we have been extremely grateful for the opportunity to develop our research skills with equity at the forefront of our learning," Bowen said.