To BE or to FEEL beautiful? A stethoscope clad girl took charge and before I knew it the bottom of my t-shirt was held firmly beneath my neck. I faced the wall, my back exposed. My peers took turns, as I had done before, to meticulously examine my breathing.  I stood there silently, fighting the […]

Mental health is, inarguably, a recent societal focal point. I still remember the times when I was told to keep my thoughts and emotions solely to myself. The word confession, therefore, possessed a sense of guilt and shame.   To deal with the challenges of life, I started to express myself through art. At times it […]

Treading Water  Verse I I’ve been thrown in an ocean Scared ill drown in it But they’re so busy trying to keep their boat above the water  To see I don’t know how to swim   I’m drifting in the chaos Barely afloat I would love if someone stopped just for a moment To throw […]

Have you ever rolled your eyes when the topic of ‘mental health’ gets brought up? I know I have. I would immediately picture a delicate millennial complaining about the basic realities of adulting or whining about a breakup, whilst posting cringy inspirational quotes on social media.  Humbled by my own experiences, I now know that […]

Dear NZMSA Members, NZMSA is now in the process of calling for 2019 NZMSA President, Vice President Internal (VPI) and Vice President External (VPE). These roles are elected by the Executive in accordance with the NZMSA Constitution which can be found on our website. Ideal candidates for the President and Vice-President roles will display strong […]

Dear NZMSA Members, In 2013, the NZMSA trialled a new “Officer” structure, whereby skill-specific roles were developed to improve the way NZMSA advocates and organises events on behalf of medical students. Since this new structure has been implemented Officers have produced outstanding work and excellent events for New Zealand medical students. Overall, we found that […]

PRESS RELEASE: NZMSA disappointed by lack of student input into rural health training hubs New Zealand’s Medical Students are disappointed that a health sector meeting held this week on a new rural training proposal failed to engage with the students who are going to use them. “We’re really excited by this proposal and believe it’s […]

Friday the 15th of March marks the darkest hour in New Zealand history. Not only was this an attack on the Muslim community but on the values that make us all kiwi. Let’s spread a message of peace and love in such times. It’s by coming together and helping our neighbours in times of need […]

Kia ora koutou,   The NZMSA is deeply saddened and shocked by the events in Christchurch on Friday. The University of Otago believes that all medical students are safe following the attacks. However, we are aware of many students significantly affected and our hearts go out to them and their families. This email serves a […]

The New Zealand Medical Students’ Association is deeply shocked by the terrorist attack in Christchurch on Friday 15 March. Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this horrific event, particularly those in our medical student community of Islamic faith. The University of Otago believes that all of the medical students based at Christchurch […]