Events
Registrations for the 2024 Conference are now open
16-18 May 2024
Tākina Convention Centre, Wellington
Save the date for the New Zealand Women in Medicine conference returning to Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington in 2024, May 16-18.
The theme for the conference is Kō te tumanako me haere tahi tatou: hope moves us forward together. We will be tackling some of the big ideas – what does success look like, as regards reform of the health system? How do we step up as leaders to address bias and inequities where we see them? How do we develop that leadership and become agents of change? And how do we maintain our health while doing this, in an increasingly difficult work environment?
Joining us to discuss these issues will be a group of inspiring speakers including Keriana Brooking, Director-General of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, Sir Peter Gluckman and Rob Campbell just to name a few.
October 13 - Christchurch
In October, we hosted our inaugural Te Wai Pounamu event in Ōtautahi Christchurch with former mayor Lianne Dalziel.
It was a delightful evening of getting to know each other face to face, finding common ground, sparking inspiration and ideas and general conviviality. Lianne Dalziel was both deeply inspired by our collective mahi, and inspiring to all of us, as she urged NZWIM to sustainably grow our collectivity and collaborative spirit, always remembering to pause to refill our individual “reserve tanks”.
Thanks also to Charlie Rose Creative for her photos of the evening.
This event was kindly supported by Financial Independence & Craigs Investment Partners. Thank you to the lovely team for coming along and joining us, and for your support!
October 8 - Wellington
NZWIM’s second event of 2023 took place on Friday 8th September at St John’s Bar and Restaurant in Pōneke.
In September, Mayor Tory Whanau met up with many of us at the Pōneke Wellington Speaker & Networking Event.
It was an evening sparkling with energy and inspiration as valuable new connections were made and old bonds strengthened. Collectively we created a safe space and our mayor, Tory Whanau delighted us by sharing her insights and learnings on the challenges and responsibilities that come with our respective roles. Her reflections on leadership and public service resonated deeply, as did her great sense of humour.
A special thanks to Rebecca McMillan who provided us with excellent photography of the night.
This event was kindly supported by Financial Independence & Craigs Investment Partners. Thank you to the lovely team for coming along and joining us, and for your support!
May 19 - Auckland
NZWIM’s first event of 2023 took place on Friday 19th May at the Sapphire Room in Ponsonby.
Around 90 WIMs gathered to eat, drink, chat and listen to a ‘state of the nation’ discussion on healthcare presented by ex- Te Whatu Ora Board Chair, Rob Campbell. When invited to speak back in January, Rob was still in post; by the time of the meeting he was no longer a member of the inner circle, but had emerged as an outspoken advocate for change and a strong supporter of the health workforce.
Acoustic challenges resulted in the audience huddling in a tight circle. Perched on stools and sofas and sitting cross-legged on the floor the gathering took on a slightly conspiratorial feel which was compounded by the content of the speech. Rob had asked for ‘tough questions’ and the audience were happy to deliver; Dr Suzanne Poole asked why real change had not taken place on Mr Campbell’s watch, while Dr Carolyn Providence raised some of the specific issues currently faced by IMGs (International Medical Graduates). Rob’s impression of the audience? “….an impressive group.”
The highlight of the evening for many was the opportunity to have “great conversations with new people”, many of whom had travelled from as far afield as Tauranga, Cambridge, Wellington and Hawkes Bay. It was fabulous to see so many wonderful colleagues delighting in each others’ company and making plans to keep in touch. Inspiring people, making connections, raising each other up: this is how we roll.
The evening was covered by NZ Doctor and the NZ Herald, who posted Rob Campbell’s speech in full.
We are very grateful to our fantastic sponsor, Medical Financial Advisers (MFAS), for supporting the evening and providing the wonderful prize hamper.
2022 Conference
Kia ora koutou,
On behalf of the organising committee, I would like to thank you for making our first NZ Women in Medicine Conference such an incredible experience. The feedback has been phenomenal, with many people stating that it is one of the best (or even the best) conference they have ever attended.
We feel honoured to have been able to share the experience with you. Without the enthusiasm and support of our attendees, sponsors and presenters, without your unique stories and perspectives and our shared experiences, it would not have been such a special event.
We believe we have created something unique, and we intend to build on this. The value in coming together across the artificial divides of primary care, secondary care, academia, junior and senior roles cannot be overstated. Our united voice is powerful, and the presence of our key speakers from within the New Zealand Health System attested to this.
Over the next few months, we will continue to build on the NZWIM society which we have created. We will be launching a new website and there will be options for formal membership. We would love your feedback with any ideas or suggestions for future events and speakers.
Kotahitanga me Manaakitanga
Celebrating strength in our unity, supporting our community
Chair, NZWIM Conference 2022
We’d love you to join New Zealand Women in Medicine.
By joining NZ Women in Medicine you will be part of a large networked community of women/wāhine doctors at all ages and stages of medicine. We are currently the only pan professional medical organisation in New Zealand, dedicated to supporting our members, advocating for our profession and benefiting from each other’s wisdom and lived experience.