abstracts and bios cover_final.indd - LIME Network

Te Ara: A pathway to excellence in Indigenous health teaching and learningDr Rhys JonesSenior Lecturer (Medical), Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, The University of AucklandAbstractMedical and other health professional education programmes have a responsibility to ensure that theirgraduates can contribute to reducing and eliminating inequities in health. It is critical that Indigenous healthcurricula are designed to effectively prepare graduates to meet this challenge.This paper describes a common approach to Māori health curriculum development across the four majorundergraduate health programmes (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Health Sciences) at The University ofAuckland. Drawing on the principles of outcome-based education and working with each of the programmes’academic leaders, we developed Te Ara – a shared graduate profile in Māori health. Key learning outcomesinclude the ability to engage appropriately in interactions with Māori individuals, families and communities,to explain how ethnic inequalities in health are created and maintained (and how they may be reduced andeliminated), and to critically reflect on one’s own practice.Te Ara is now being used to map existing curricula and as the framework for a more systematic approachto Māori health teaching, learning and assessment. This process will result in curricula that are morecomprehensive, evidence-based and transparent for both staff and students. It will also provide greateropportunities for interprofessional learning and for sharing of insights and knowledge across programmes.In this paper we will describe the development of Te Ara, outline progress towards implementation andforeshadow some of the key challenges that lie ahead. Principles and practical insights from our experienceare broadly applicable in the area of Indigenous health and cultural competence education internationally.Presenter: Dr Rhys JonesRhys (Ngāti Kahungunu) is a Public Health Medicine Specialist and Senior Lecturerat Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, The University of Auckland. He teaches Māori health atundergraduate and postgraduate levels in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.He has a leadership role in Māori health curriculum development at the University andis heavily involved in research that seeks to advance Indigenous health education. Rhysis also Māori Director of Training for the New Zealand Public Health Medicine trainingprogramme and past Chairperson of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (The Māori MedicalPractitioners Association).32