Emmanuel Ortiz is on a five-week placement at Ōtorohanga Medical. PHOTO SIGRID CHRISTIANSEN
Ten weeks is a short time, but it could be life-changing for fifth-year trainee doctor Emmanuel Ortiz.
The Aucklander is on placement in the King Country, exploring rural medicine for the first time. And to his surprise, it is resonating.
“When I [first] went into medical school, I never thought I’d want to work in a rural area. But after working in Te Kūiti … I’ve actually really enjoyed it.”
He is on his second of the two five-week placements in rural medicine – this one in Ōtorohanga. It has led to him considering a career in a regional area in the future.
“My main options are [working as a] GP or rural medicine.”
After placement last year at North Shore hospital, he had been given a choice of staying in Auckland or working outside the city. He decided to travel the road less taken.
“I just wanted to get a better [idea] how health is done in the country.”
He saw a number of benefits to working in the country – including more options for providing wholistic care.
He also appreciated having “more time to spend with people in general – you’re not constantly rushed”.
“In Auckland, things are a bit more time pressured. You’re a bit more comprehensive here … rather than [only treating] the main complaint of patients, there’s a lot more input from the community workers, and allied health – occupational health and physiotherapy, that kind of thing.”
He also appreciated being able to provide consistent care.
“Not that I want them to see these same patients come in all the time, but it’s nice to … have continuity of care and that kind of thing. You don’t get that working in a big hospital.”
In the King Country, his workday feels more varied – he can look after people not just with standard GP concerns, but also workplace injuries from logging and other trades practised in this area.
“I … can’t do the same thing every day. [And here] you get a mix of acute and non-acute patients.”
A peaceful, friendly environment is part of the appeal.
“I was at Auckland yesterday and I drove back here, and I just felt like a sense of calm. Just generally; the nature and that kind of thing. The people are really nice.”
Attracting more young doctors to places like Te Rohe Pōtae was about exposing them to the potential appeal of a rural lifestyle, he thought.
He also said it would be ideal to have more rural placement options for students.
“It’s quite limited – there are about 30 spots out in Waikato for the regional rural programme [in which they rotate between places like Kāwhia and Waikato Hospital].”
He grew up in Irvine, California before arriving in New Zealand aged 11, and later becoming a citizen. New Zealand will always be his home.
On a recent visit, he had found the United States too materialistic as a society, especially in terms of the way the medical profession operated – neglecting the poorest members of society.
This did not sit well with him, because he could compare it with his knowledge of the wider world – such as his mother’s memories of poverty and starvation during her childhood in the Philippines.
In a place like the King Country, a part of New Zealand with relatively higher levels of economic deprivation, he can practice medicine in accordance with his values.
Practice manager Michelle McKenzie said they had appreciated the student’s work during his time at Ōtorohanga.
“It has been great having Emmanuel with us.
“While most of the time he has been in the practice, he has also taken part in various activities with community health providers during his five-week placement.
“We enjoy being a teaching practice and providing opportunities for medical students and junior doctors to experience what life in a small rural community is like.
“We are hopeful that this encourages these doctors to consider rural general practice as a future career choice.”
