Event Information

Keynote: Professor Suzanne Pitama

Saturday, September 7, 2024

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Plenary Room Auditorium

Overview

The Role of Whakatere in the Meihana Model – Has it a place in Physiotherapy?

Speaker

Professor Suzanne Pitama

Dean and Head of Campus

University of Otago, Christchurch

The role of whakatere in the Meihana Model – has it a place in physiotherapy?

Presentation Abstract

The Meihana Model whakapapa starts within psychology, further found a home in medical education, and has since been adapted in many health professional education programmes including nursing, speech language therapy, social work and other disciplines. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the Meihana Model as a tool for decolonising clinical practice, the role of whakatere within the Meihana model, and provides space to discuss whether there is a place for the Meihana Model in the discipline of physiotherapy.

Biography

BA, MA (First Class Hons), PGDipEdPsych, PhD (Otago). NZSPsS.
Suzanne is the Dean and the Head of Campus at the University of Otago, Christchurch. Suz is a registered psychologist and a member of the New Zealand Psychological Society. Suz has been involved in Māori health research and health professional education for over 20 years. Her work has included the development of the Meihana Model, which supports Indigenous and non-Indigenous health professionals signpost cultural competency and safety within their practice. Suzanne has received a number of awards including the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award for tertiary teaching excellence and both the Indigenous Leadership Award and Lifetime award from the Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education (LIME). Suzanne was awarded the Joan Metge Medal for her research in Indigenous medical education, and the Dame Marie Clay Award for contributions to educational and developmental psychology.