Landing her first optometrist role, graduate Grace Su is returning to the Tauranga practice where she did part of her externship while participating in the University of Auckland’s Rural Health Interprofessional Programme (RHIP).
Su said the RHIP experience strongly influenced her decision. “The programme gave me the opportunity to do externships in both Whakatāne and Tauranga, which was perfect. Then the choice to work in Tauranga was easy.”
The RHIP programme placed Su in Whakatāne for five weeks, living with students from different disciplines and universities. “It felt like a vacation with friends – we did pub quizzes, group dinners and explored the community.”
Her six-week externship included three weeks at Specsavers Whakatāne and three weeks at Matthews Vision Care Tauranga (formerly Visique Greerton). Working there opened her eyes to the challenges and rewards of rural healthcare, she said. “In Whakatāne, there’s no eye specialist, so patients often travel long distances for care. Navigating those barriers was tricky but rewarding. People were so grateful – whatever you give, they give back two-fold.”
Su encourages other students to take part in RHIP. “Most optometry students are from Auckland, so rural places can seem like empty grasslands – but that’s not true at all. Whakatāne is beautiful, with lots to do. The programme is so well planned; it makes going rural less daunting and shows why it matters.”
