Cultural Safety in Vocational Medical Training

Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (Te ORA) and the Council of Medical Colleges (CMC) are pleased to release a report looking at cultural safety within vocational medical training.

The CMC, in partnership with Te ORA, commissioned this research to better understand actions medical colleges are taking to support cultural safety and health equity, and how Māori fellows and trainees have experienced the training programmes and support offered by medical colleges. The research was undertaken via a survey of medical colleges, and a focus group hui with Māori doctors and trainees across medical specialties. The report is available online at www.cmc.org.nz

The report aims to provide both a snapshot on progress and a knowledge base that will support the evolution of vocational medical training towards cultural safety. It shows that many colleges are undertaking activities with the aim of supporting health equity, and we are all on varying stages of this journey. Importantly, the report also highlights the cultural loading that Māori doctors experience consistently across all medical specialties.

We hope this report advances the discussion around cultural safety within medical training and builds on work from the Medical Council of New Zealand’s Statement on Cultural Safety (2019) and its Cultural Safety Baseline Data Report (2020).

The CMC and Te ORA are committed to working together to support the development of a culturally safe medical workforce.