School of Pharmacy alumna Sua Oh credits her time in Otago’s Interprofessional Education programme for helping her find meaningful work, a supportive community, and a rewarding life in the countryside.
Like many high school graduates, Sua Oh was unsure where life would take her.
The Korean-born and Christchurch-raised student knew she had a passion for healthcare and wanted to be at the forefront of helping those who needed it the most but, with a reserved disposition and imperfect English, her goal seemed far from reality.
Now, only seven years later, Sua has not only graduated from the University of Otago’s School of Pharmacy, but operates as a rural pharmacist in Greymouth, has mastered English alongside her native Korean, and has travelled and lived in other parts of the country finding both her peace and place in the world.
“The early stages of study came with a great deal of challenges with language and cultural barriers I needed to navigate, but living in a hall of residence played a big role in helping me adjust,” Sua says.
“I am so grateful for the support Otago provided during the initial transition and, after meeting people from different backgrounds at my hall, I slowly began to build my confidence.”
Arriving at Otago, Sua knew she had a passion for empowering disadvantaged groups on their healthcare journey, but she was unsure of the best pathway for her to do this.
“I always wanted to pursue a career in healthcare and, looking back, attending the University of Otago was one of the best decisions I had ever made.
“The supportive environment, close student community, and various experiences I gained during my time shaped both my personal and professional growth.”
One of these experiences was taking part in the five-week Otago Te Tai o Poutini Interprofessional Education (IPE) programme in Greymouth, which proved life changing for Sua.
During her final year of study, she heard about the positive experiences other students had completing the IPE programme and decided to apply for the opportunity herself. She saw it as a chance to engage with rural communities in need and step outside of her comfort zone - much like she did when first coming to University.
The IPE programme led to her being offered an internship and permanent position at Unichem Olsen’s Pharmacy in the Greymouth, where her main takeaways was learning how to make her practice more holistic and patient centred.
“The Greymouth IPE experience reinforced the importance of working alongside other health professionals to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients and gave me a better understanding of the roles of other professions.”
Living and working closely with students from other disciplines in the IPE programme also helped grow her network and even develop lifelong friendships, she says.
“I would strongly encourage other students to take part in the IPE programme because it opens your eyes to different ways of working and gives you the chance to both represent your profession and gain appreciation for others.”
She is grateful for the position and loves living in Greymouth where the work is meaningful, the community is supportive and the countryside so beautiful.
“It has been rewarding to be able to give back to the community and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue growing as a healthcare professional at Olsen’s Pharmacy.
“I have so much gratitude for the people at Olsen’s pharmacy, especially my preceptor, as well as my mentor Eliza Hood, and the many others who helped me become the pharmacist I am today.”
- Kōrero by the Division of Health Sciences Communications Adviser, Kelsey Swart.
Interprofessional Education Programmes
IEPs bring senior pre-registration students from different health disciplines together to learn with, from and about each other while gaining clinical experience in rural Aotearoa New Zealand. Explore the Tairāwhiti and Te Tai o Poutini programmes.
Find out more