‘Our Health Journeys’ partnership collates national medical history

In a new and exciting initiative, our College students partnered with the Our Health Journeys Trust to contribute to a comprehensive archive of New Zealand’s rich medical history. Our Health Journeys is a national e-museum project, aiming to bring often-overlooked stories to light. Sixteen students completed projects elucidating key medical figures, milestones, and findings that have progressed the field of medicine. Many of these are being published on the Our Health Journeys website (https://www.ourhealthmuseum.org.nz). 

It was an honour to welcome Auckland Medical Museum Trust members Dr Patrick Alley and Margaret Horsburgh to a full school assembly in Term 3 to speak on the schools’ partnership with the project. Dr Alley spoke to the conception of the project, revealing a 2014 cardiac surgery exhibition at Greenlane Hospital was the spark that set off the idea of preserving New Zealand’s medical heritage in a digital repository.

Margaret Horsburgh then took the stage to present awards to three standout students for their exceptional contributions:

Best Junior Project – Oliver McGuinness, ‘Mont Liggins - The New Zealand Pioneer Who Changed Maternity Care’

Best Senior Project – Ricky Shen, ‘The potential role of Rongoā Māori in New Zealand Medicine’

Best Overall Project – Nadia Turner, ‘Dr. Kaye Ibbertson and Iodine Deficiency in the Himalayas’

Following the assembly, each of the participants received certificates and lapel badges during a ceremony held in the Sports Centre Lounge, attended by both trust members.

Additionally, several students including Joseph Kim and Liam Zhao, had their work published on the Our Health Journeys website, with more to come. Ricky Shen and Nadia Turner were also invited to present their research at the Auckland Medical History Society meeting.

This initiative has proven to be an enriching opportunity for students to explore history through the lens of medical science, deepening their passion for learning and contributing to the preservation of New Zealand’s health history.

Read the published articles of our students below:

Melanie Yin, Marcus Liu, Harriet Ludbrook, Chloe Yang, Oliver McGuinness, Liam Zhao, 

Joseph Kim, Emma A Wang, Lucas Zhong, Nadia Turner.

 *Please note, Ricky Shen’s is yet to be published.