A Pacific immersion programme--is it useful in teaching Pacific health to future doctors in New Zealand?
Pacific peoples make up approximately 7% of the total population in New Zealand, and are over-represented in poor health statistics. There are very few Pacific peoples in the health workforce. Most Pacific patients will be seen by a non-Pacific health professional when seeking medical care. It is important for all health education institutions, therefore, to include Pacific health as part of their curricula. This article outlines the development and evaluation of a Pacific immersion programme to teach medical students about Pacific health. The programme was developed with the assistance of local Pacific community leaders. Learning objectives for students, protocols and processes were developed. These learning objectives and feedback from medical students, staff and host families, formed the basis for evaluating the programme. Students found the programme to be very useful. Host families were satisfied with the experience. Staff support ensured the programme became a required part of learning at the Dunedin School of Medicine. The pilot programme was initially offered as an optional choice for students. In the future, all students at the Dunedin School of Medicine will be expected to undertake the programme. A research project looking at changes in knowledge, skills and attitudes of students after the programme will be of value. The programme provided a useful way for teaching Pacific health to undergraduate medical students. Other institutions could consider this method for teaching Pacific health in their curricula.