Faumuina Professor Fa’afetai Sopoaga
| Position | Professor |
|---|---|
| Qualifications | MB ChB FAFPHM MRNZCGP |
| Research summary | Pacific health |
Research
Faumuina Professor Fa’afetai (Tai) Sopoaga leads Va’a o Tautai in the Division of Health Sciences. Her interests include Pacific health, Pacific workforce development, Pacific students, and Pacific communities.
As the Director of the Va’a o Tautai – Centre for Pacific Health, Faumuina Professor Fa'afetai Sopoaga's role is to recruit, retain, and ensure a high completion rate for Pacific students in the Division. The support services provided for Pacific students is guided through evidence from the close monitoring and evaluation of all support services. She is responsible for monitoring the Divisional response to the Pacific Strategic Framework goals, provides guidance for engagement with Pacific communities and led developments which resulted in the establishment of the Otago Pacific Academic Caucus.
Faumuina is the high chief title from Fagaloa, Samoa. She trained as a medical doctor with expertise in public health and general practice. She is leading development in the Pacific Health curriculum in Health Sciences, through the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, and has wide connections and networks with the Pacific community in New Zealand and the Pacific region. Her research interests are in health workforce capacity building, transitioning students to higher education and Pacific health curriculum. She is currently undertaking doctoral studies on the health and wellbeing of Pacific students in higher education.
Publications
Sopoaga, F., & van der Meer, J. (2011). Building a Pacific health workforce in New Zealand: Initial findings from a transition project in first year health sciences at university: A practice report. International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 2(2), 61-68. doi: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v2i2.88
Sopoaga, F. (2011). A Pacific immersion programme: Is it useful in teaching Pacific health to future doctors in New Zealand? Journal of Primary Health Care, 3(4), 311-316.
Sopoaga, F., Buckingham, K., & Paul, C. (2010). Causes of excess hospitalizations among Pacific peoples in New Zealand: Implications for primary care. Journal of Primary Health Care, 2(2), 105-110.
Capstick, S., Norris, P., Sopoaga, F., & Tobata, W. (2009). Relationships between health and culture in Polynesia: A review. Social Science & Medicine, 68(7), 1341-1348. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.01.002
Sopoaga, F., Leon de la Barra, S., Van der Meer, J., Samalia, L., Carr, S., Delaibatiki, R., & Kirifi-Alai, T. N. (2011). Developing a health workforce from an underserved population in New Zealand [Letter to the editor]. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 35(5), 494-495. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2011.00766.x
Sopoaga, F., & van der Meer, J. (2011). Building a Pacific health workforce in New Zealand: Initial findings from a transition project in first year health sciences at university: A practice report. International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 2(2), 61-68. doi: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v2i2.88
Journal - Research Article
Sopoaga, F. (2011). A Pacific immersion programme: Is it useful in teaching Pacific health to future doctors in New Zealand? Journal of Primary Health Care, 3(4), 311-316.
Journal - Research Article
Sopoaga, F., Buckingham, K., & Paul, C. (2010). Causes of excess hospitalizations among Pacific peoples in New Zealand: Implications for primary care. Journal of Primary Health Care, 2(2), 105-110.
Journal - Research Article
Capstick, S., Norris, P., Sopoaga, F., & Tobata, W. (2009). Relationships between health and culture in Polynesia: A review. Social Science & Medicine, 68(7), 1341-1348. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.01.002
Journal - Research Article
Sopoaga, F., Leon de la Barra, S., Van der Meer, J., Samalia, L., Carr, S., Delaibatiki, R., & Kirifi-Alai, T. N. (2011). Developing a health workforce from an underserved population in New Zealand [Letter to the editor]. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 35(5), 494-495. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2011.00766.x
Journal - Research Other
Suaalii-Sauni, T., Aiavao, F., Faafeu-Hope, E., Sopoaga, T., Paul, C., Righarts, A., McCool, J., Kirifi-Alai, N., Hill, P., & Fuatai, F. (2011). Strengthening health research capacity from within Samoa. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 23(1), 100-109. doi: 10.1177/1010539510390782
Journal - Research Article
Sehgal, P., Sopoaga, F., & Beresford, R. (2009). Bridging the gap: Strategies to promote the recruitment and retention of Pacific Islanders into the health professions. New Zealand Medical Student Journal, 9, 5-8.
Journal - Research Article
