Curiosity from tragedy led Dr Melenia Kaitaeifo to medicine.
She was just 8 years old when one of her older brothers died at the age of 17 in Auckland, from what they now know was a traumatic brain injury.
“My older brother’s passing was a huge tragedy for everyone who knew him. I wasn’t old enough to comprehend what had happened but what pushed me to pursue a career in medicine was curiosity. Why can’t we save him? Is there anything we can do to save him? What other options do we have? These questions played in my head like a broken record for years,” Melenia says.
Despite the drive of “curiosity and tragedy”, she arrived at Otago still not completely sure that medicine was the right path.
“However, I decided to give it a go, and I am so glad I did because I now stand tall and firm that this is the right path for me.”
Melenia graduated on Saturday with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. She starts work at Middlemore Hospital in the new year where she is determined to start making the system better for Pacific patients and their families.
“I think my family just don’t like going into hospital or being treated in the healthcare system because they don’t comprehend everything. We all seem to have had poor experiences where healthcare is involved or in the way that we’ve perceived the interactions.”
In fact, it wasn’t until Melenia was at medical school that she fully understood what had happened to her brother more than a decade earlier.
“I did all my own research and put together myself what actually had happened. I had to do it all myself because my family walked out of that hospital understanding nothing that the doctors had told them.
“It is a well-known fact that Pacific and Māori people have the worst health outcomes.
“There are a multitude of things that are contributing to this, and a lot of work is needed to help address and improve this and I am so excited to finally join the team and help improve those outcomes,” she says.
Melenia’s cultural identity shaped her approach to work alongside patients everyday, she says.
“I show up as myself, a young Tongan health professional and the way I practice medicine and interact with patients is secondary to my cultural identity. It’s in the way I introduce myself, that I am respectful to the people I interact with, in the way I am able to read body language appropriately.
“Being a community driven person means that I am able to provide holistic care always and have strong communication skills as well as being culturally competent.”
On one occasion she was able to translate for a man who was admitted to hospital. She believes her Tongan presence made his experience more bearable.
“He just kept saying like, malo, malo (thank you) and he just seemed grateful like the whole time. And because he was able to talk to me about everything, he felt more comfortable to ask me questions,” she says.
“I grew up in a household that instilled in us the importance of God being at the centre of everything we do, and secondly, the importance of education. I grew up in a family that was community focused, continually serving others and helping people.
“I would say it is in the scaffolding of my life that has led me to where I am today, and I am forever proud to be a young Tongan female doctor that will finally be able to give back to my people and my family.”
All her “defining moments” during her time at Otago have involved Pacific patients.
“The most beautiful thing is when you see patients progressively get better and can be discharged home. Those are moments that solidify my passion for medicine.”
Melenia Kaitaeifo (middle) pictured with her parents by her side who are all smiles celebrating their daughter’s achievement at medical school.
But she would not have been able to achieve any of this without her faith and the support of her family, she says.
“My family support has been 100,000 percent on. Every step of the way I have been blessed with continuous family support.”
Moving away from family was not a decision Melenia took lightly, but she found family and their support – whether that be advice, home-cooked meals, groceries, company, help during exam time, transport, or a bed – wherever she was in Aotearoa.
“In conclusion, family support looked like paid bills when I couldn’t cover them. It looked like mum flying to Dunedin every exam season so that I could have home cooked meals and clean laundry. It looked like cousin hangouts to unwind from all the uni stress. It looked like free flights home during Covid. The best support was the continuous protection through prayer from the get-go.”
And family is still a priority for Melenia as she starts her career.
“I am indebted to my biggest cheerleader, my sister. She took on all the responsibilities that an older sibling should just so I could execute our vision. So, I plan to spend as much time as I can with my family to make up for my years of absence!
“I have family coming from Tonga, Australia and America and from around New Zealand and I can’t wait to celebrate with them and laugh our way into 2025.”
Melenia has words of advice for any Pacific students considering medicine.
“Don’t be discouraged to step into this space, particularly if you’re like me and will be the first in your family. It can be daunting but embrace your unique qualities as a Pacific person and bring it to the table.
“You are needed and wanted. You have the ability to make a huge impact and influence change. You can be a leader and healer that will uplift and bring hope to our people. We’re all rooting for you.”
