Lay summary
This mixed methods Pacific research will be carried out by Dr Melbourne Mauiliu-Wallis. Melbourne is from Samoa, has Master's in Public Health and an MBChb from Otago She is a doctor at Middlemore and a research fellow in surgery. She aspires to become a Pacific Academic Surgeon undertaking a PhD with the University of Auckland.
Melbourne's research addresses workforce planning, equity, and service delivery for Pacific peoples. This research is the first of its kind to quantitatively describe the current Pacific medical workforce, investigate factors influencing career choices and carry out a similar secondary sub-analysis for Pacific medical students . The qualitative component will explore experiences of Pacific women in pursuing or rejecting a surgical career through Talanoa sessions. Outcomes will inform planning for a Pacific health workforce currently under strain with hard to staff areas like surgical specialties and adjusting to changing demographic with more female doctors.