She chose optometry because she loved science, wanted a healthcare career, and preferred a nine-to-five lifestyle over medicine. <\/p>\n
Her five-year degree included an honours component and placements in both metro and rural settings.<\/p>\n
The RHIP programme placed her in Whakat\u0101ne for five weeks, where she lived with students from different disciplines and universities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt like a vacation with friends \u2013 we did pub quizzes, group dinners, and explored the community. It made rural work feel less daunting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty have pockets of communities that face geographic distance barriers to accessing optometry services, according to a statement from the University of Auckland. Photo \/ 123RF<\/p>\n
Her six-week externship included three weeks at Specsavers Whakat\u0101ne and three weeks at Visique Greerton in Tauranga. <\/p>\n
She said working rurally gave her an insight into the challenges and rewards of rural healthcare.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Whakat\u0101ne, there\u2019s no eye specialist, so patients often travel long distances for care. Navigating those barriers was tricky but rewarding. People were so grateful \u2013 whatever you give, they give back two-fold.\u201d<\/p>\n
Su said rural practice offered more variety and learning opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see more pathology, and it\u2019s just more interesting overall. Rural communities are different, with more challenges in service access, but that makes the work satisfying.\u201d<\/p>\n
She would encourage other students to take part in RHIP.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost optometry students are from Auckland, so rural places can seem like empty grasslands \u2013 but that\u2019s not true at all. Whakat\u0101ne is beautiful, with lots to do. The programme is so well planned; it makes going rural less daunting and shows why it matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
She is excited to return to Tauranga and work at the Greerton practice where she trained. <\/p>\n
She enjoyed independent optometry for its flexibility and patient focus, and hopes to give back to the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d definitely work in Whakat\u0101ne in the future, if the opportunity arose. It\u2019s not daunting anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Associate Dean of Rural Health at the University of Auckland, Dr Kyle Eggleton, said the RHIP was an important component of health workforce development in Whakat\u0101ne and the broader Bay of Plenty region. <\/p>\n
Seventy-five per cent of the junior medical workforce in Whakat\u0101ne is recruited through RHIP, along with a large proportion of allied health professionals. <\/p>\n
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