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Mii (Miimetua) Elizabeth McfelinOccupational Therapist working in Acute Physical Health at Dunedin Public Hospital, Te Whatu Ora Southern.
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Qualifications: Bachelors in Occupational Therapy and prior to this Certificate in
Health.
Hobbies: Netball and anything sporty.
Favourite food: Poke-banana pudding, rukau- taro leaves, mainese-type of potato
salad, island donuts and chop suey.
Health.
Hobbies: Netball and anything sporty.
Favourite food: Poke-banana pudding, rukau- taro leaves, mainese-type of potato
salad, island donuts and chop suey.
I was born and raised here in Dunedin, but I am of Cook Islands heritage hailing from Ivirua in Mangaia. I went to St Patricks and St Peter Chanel for primary here in Dunedin and also did a short stint at St Josephs in Rarotonga. My high school was Kavanagh College (now Trinity) where my favourite subjects were Physical education, Geography and Social studies. I had some great teachers at Kavanagh College! Two come to mind, my year 8 form teacher and my year 11 form teacher. They encouraged me, challenged me and most of all supported me with my learning if I was ever struggling. While at school I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career but had thought about joining the army. After school I moved to Australia and worked 6 months in a meat factory before returning home to Dunedin where I mostly worked in hospitality. I had my daughter at the age of 21 and it wasnt until she started primary school that I decided to enrol at Otago Polytechnic to study a certificate in health.
I currently work as an occupational therapist in the Acute stroke unit where I do initial assessments of a patients physical and cognitive abilities after a stroke; we begin the physical rehab process from the acute setting. I also work on the cardiorespiratory ward and assist people to return to their functional baselines through everyday tasks/meaningful occupations. My favourite part of this role is seeing the gains that patients make following a serious event/injury and supporting their goals to get home or return to full independence. I am proud of my culture and the sense of belonging it has provided me. I think it is important to highlight that not every learning journey is the same and you can choose to upskill and gain qualifications at any age and stage of your life. When I first decided to study Occupational Therapy, I was classified as a mature student, had been out of school for a long time and I had a young daughter who had just started primary school. I found it very challenging and overwhelming at times. I feel a sense to give back to my fellow pasifika peoples in hope to motivate and encourage a career in health care. I would also love to see more Pasifika faces around my workplace and in healthcare, as we are underrepresented in this area. I want to show that anything is possible if you are
determined, work hard and passionate about what you want to do.
If you could give some words of wisdom to your younger self – what would your words be?
I currently work as an occupational therapist in the Acute stroke unit where I do initial assessments of a patients physical and cognitive abilities after a stroke; we begin the physical rehab process from the acute setting. I also work on the cardiorespiratory ward and assist people to return to their functional baselines through everyday tasks/meaningful occupations. My favourite part of this role is seeing the gains that patients make following a serious event/injury and supporting their goals to get home or return to full independence. I am proud of my culture and the sense of belonging it has provided me. I think it is important to highlight that not every learning journey is the same and you can choose to upskill and gain qualifications at any age and stage of your life. When I first decided to study Occupational Therapy, I was classified as a mature student, had been out of school for a long time and I had a young daughter who had just started primary school. I found it very challenging and overwhelming at times. I feel a sense to give back to my fellow pasifika peoples in hope to motivate and encourage a career in health care. I would also love to see more Pasifika faces around my workplace and in healthcare, as we are underrepresented in this area. I want to show that anything is possible if you are
determined, work hard and passionate about what you want to do.
If you could give some words of wisdom to your younger self – what would your words be?
