Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A (Becky): Kia Ora and welcome to the Whole Tooth Aotearoa NZ, a podcast for oral health professionals made by oral health professionals. Here we will share the kaupapa of the oral health profession in Aotearoa, where we will seek to speak the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the truth.
[00:00:19] Speaker B(Becky): The whole tooth. Aotearoa NZ is sponsored by the Clare foundation.
The Clare foundation is a progressive philanthropic organisation that wants more for our people and our planet.
They're proactively acting in ways to positively influence our environment, oral health, youth, wellbeing and women to create extraordinary change. You can find them at www.clare.nz That's Clare. C L A R E
[00:00:48] Speaker A (Becky): Kia Ora Oral health Professional Whanau in Today's episode will talk to Natasha Apiti-Pickup about being an oral health therapy undergraduate student. We'll discuss the ins and outs of Tash's journey to becoming an oral health therapist and get an insight into university life and the current times.
Sit back, relax and enjoy this kōrero, oral health professional whānau, Today we have Tash and she is going to share with us her oral health journey as an undergraduate oral health student.
Tash, welcome today and welcome to the whole tooth, Aotearoa and Zed. We are so blessed to have you today, my love.
[00:01:28] Speaker C (TASH): Sincere apologies for the phonetic spelling of te reo māori AI transcript - Oh mauri ora kia koutou kato kakapuku toku manga k waipa toku awa kotai nui toku waka kotikopoa tokumarai konati inurawa konati kahu okuhapu konati manipoto toku iwi echipuaki a mutu enohuana hou ki kiri kiririro konotasha tokungwa. So, yes, I'm Tash.
I am a third year oral health student at AUt and yeah, third and final year.
[00:02:00] Speaker A: Oh, my heart. Ngā mihi for that beautiful Pepeha. I just love te reo māori. It always just warms the heart to start the session off like this and be able to share a bit of your journey around being an oral health undergraduate student. Because in these times and this climate, I can imagine it's an adventure trying to study. But you had an added interesting part of your story is that you traveled so much and that shows such a commitment to your studies. But let's begin. Tash, how did you start your oral health journey? Give us a little bit about who you are and how you got into oral health.
[00:02:45] Speaker C (TASH): Awesome. So I stumbled upon oral health. I was actually working as a lab technician in my early years, I didn't go off to university straight away, so I went straight into workforce after I left high school. And my friend had mentioned to me, oh, I reckon you'll be amazing, like being on one of those dental vans as a DA. And I was like, what I would. And because I was over my lab job that I had, and so I was like, let's just go for. I'll try my luck becoming a dental assistant. And as soon as I started for the DH district health board, at the time, I absolutely loved it.
I was mainly on mobile dental unit one, which travelled around the Waikato region, going around all the Kurakaupapa, wharekura and Kohungareo in the area. And I absolutely loved seeing our māori whānau on there and just interacting with them all. And it just, that fired my passion for oral health. And so I was a dental assistant for about seven years and I kept nagging to my partner, like, I really want to go off to study. It was always like, we've got two children, by the way, so, um, my kids, well, they're now teenagers.
I've got a 16 year old daughter, Tatiana, and a 15 year old son, Harvey. And so we were quite an established family and he was my partner. Didn't like the idea of me going off to study. I was determined. I just really wanted to go off and just step onto that letter of becoming an oral health therapist.
Yeah. So that fired my passion and I just, yeah, he was like, we should buy a house first. So we bought a house and then I just applied.
[00:04:35] Speaker A(Becky): That's how you do it.
That's wonderful. You're amazing, honestly, that determination! You need determination to get anywhere in life. And you've got it in spades, love. So, yes, tell us more.
[00:04:49] Speaker C (Tash)
And so when I did apply, I was thinking, how else can I make the most of this? Because at that time, DHB te whatora at the time was in dire need of more oral health therapists. We didn't have enough staffing and I had more oral health therapist friends that were like, why don't you see if the DHB can fund you? Why can't they fund you to go off because you want to come back, so why not? So I did ask around and see, is there any chance of funding happening? There wasn't really much happening in that era, but we had a new service manager at the time, so I managed to get in his emails and just mentioned who I was and that's how I managed to become part of the meetings, I think they were bringing me up and a lot of their higher up meetings about how they could, what they can do to help support me to become a student and to come back to Te Whatu ora.
[00:05:56] Speaker A: Yeah, well, that's an amazing investment and that's what all regions should be doing with recruitment and retention to be able to recruit amazing, you know, stars like yourself and see that potential and be like, off you go to uni and come back and be part of our solutions to improving oral health in our community. So you chose to head off to AUT?
[00:06:21] Speaker C: Well, actually that wasn't my first choice. I actually had my heart set on Otago.
I had gone down, visited the campus studying, mixing and mingling because I had been to Te Ao Marama. So I'm part of Te Ao Marama, the Māori Dental Association. I'm actually for AUT on the ngāmokai ngatu tumuaki along with Kane. So we are the tumuaki for AUT. And I had actually gone down to Te Ao Marama to Otago Uni, which was doing tours around the Otago dental school and everything. And I was like, yes, I'm gonna go here. Yeah, thought I was going to go there. Had my heart set on it. And I applied for both because I was like, well, keep both options in hand and just go and apply for both when I was ready. However, Covid hit and then AUT actually responded quicker than Otago. At the time. AUT had told me I had to send in more documents because I had to go in as a special consideration due to me being a mature student and never actually going off to study or anything in Otago. They needed more stuff on. Oh, the JP. They needed my JP who signed all my documents. They needed them to say a certain quote before actually signing off that they can verify my identity. So I was like, this is such a pain.
But yeah, Covid hit and then I was like, actually, I would rather be closer to home where most of my family are still around in Hamilton, Pirongia, Teawamutu area. And I just want to be closer to my family. And so I was like, actually, I think I would rather go to AUT. So I did drop my application for a Otago and settled for AUT, which I found that is the best thing I have actually done.
I feel like AUT is the actual university for me and it has helped me grow as a student, as a person.
I've met lifelong friends here. Like, it has been so rewarding studying at AUT.
[00:08:37] Speaker A: Yeah. And what do you think? I mean, we only have two options of studying what was it at AUT that course that made it feel right for you?
[00:08:52] Speaker C: I felt that AUT is quite multicultural and the different types of cultural diversity at AUT is amazing. I thought going in, because I'm 37 now, turning 38, going in, as a mature student, I'd be the only one university's supposed to be party, party, drinking all the time. And I'm just like, I've got a family, I'm just set. I just want to get this degree and go home. I don't want to be here.
Good time. Like, I do want a good time, but not party time.
And so I met so many people actually around the same age as me, and it's just so supportive. I managed to find the office of Mori advancement and I managed to, yeah, just find my place here and just get.
They're so supportive here. Anywhere you go at AUT, you are supported and you just have to be out there and just go and find it. And so much support finding the whānau room space that we can go to to get swipe card access, and you can go into the whnau space and they have food there, like kai for breakfasts and stuff. So if you show up to Uni and you're hungry, you've got food there. Such amazing student services and everything. And it's just, yeah, this university, especially in the north campus, it is a much more mature demographic and everything. And we, yeah, most of us are, we've got families, we've got kids, we've got jobs, like. Yeah, it's not actually all about that party life.
[00:10:36] Speaker A: Yeah, it sounds like this is purposeful. People are there to, you know, advance themselves into a different career or into their first career and.
Yeah, tell us a bit more. It sounds like the whanau room is something that's an enormous asset because student life can be extremely stressful. And I imagine in the current climate that there's, you know, not with the cost of living, costs of petrol, food, that any, any support is beneficial just to make your ability to learn to be present in class be full, you know. Tell us a bit more. Who was in the whānau room? Did you meet other people, other Māori health professionals that you could connect with?
[00:11:24] Speaker C: It's actually really good because I've got whānau room spaces at each campus.I do find the north campus. One is my favourite Whānau space because there are two different rooms.Majority of the people that are in there are physio at the moment because physio is quite an intense program and. Yeah, but you see all walks of life, people studying education, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, like all sorts, sports and rec management. So lots of different people. And then we've got Matua Mike. He's like the main leader of the whānau space and he's a good person to talk to. He's got a physio background, so I think that's mainly why physio students hang around there.
[00:12:10] Speaker A: Just made it for them. Oh, that's awesome, though.
[00:12:12] Speaker C: And then we have Cheyenne, who's part of the student hub, but mainly advocate for Māori. So she helps. If you ever need any extra help financially, she can put you in the right direction. Usually, I've managed to get help with petrol and food, Paknsave vouchers. That has helped me immensely because as our oral health therapist student, this year has been a tricky year because we have been based at north campus and our new clinic is based out south campus.
[00:12:45] Speaker A: So we've got the geographical difference there. Tash, is that like 40 kilometres across?
[00:12:52] Speaker C: The well in non traffic? It's a 30 minutes drive. So we used to be at AIH clinic, Akuranga Drive in North Shore.
[00:13:02] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:13:03] Speaker C: And so now the new clinic that we have is NIHO ORA KI Manukau. And that's at the Manukau south campus AUT on great South Road.
[00:13:15] Speaker A(Becky): Oh, that's a bit of a hike for people. And so for travelling, is there shuttles between the two places?
[00:13:25] Speaker C (Tash): No, that's why. Well, there's a shuttle from. So they actually stopped and the shuttle before we moved out there, they stopped the shuttle a few years back, it might have been in my first year when Covid was happening, they had stopped the shuttle from north to city to south. They stopped the north to city one. They still have going the city to south one, but that's it. And I have been trying to advocate because I'm part of the student shadow board at AUT, for them to bring back the shuttle so it can go north south or north city south.
[00:14:05] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, good. Are you?
[00:14:07] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:14:08] Speaker A: Advocacy as well. You know, in your space, you got time to study, time to advocate for the better life of others.
[00:14:14] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:14:15] Speaker A: What are you doing out in your Manakau clinic space? What's happening in those clinics when you go there?
[00:14:24] Speaker C: We see majority of, so still see the hygiene patients, doing our hygiene scope, but we are also seeing STAND children, they get shuttled in. So it's like sort of like a temporary accommodation, where the kids go into, like temporary accommodation there. Like they may stay a weekend or something.
[00:14:46] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[00:14:47] Speaker C: And then rejoined back into their whānau spaces, like, with their whānaus, they could be children from different walks of life. And so we get them, they'll come in with their supervisors and we get access to them. So that's been fun. I've managed to do a couple of restorations on one kid.
[00:15:12] Speaker A: It's okay. So you've had a little bit of experience in paediatric dentistry, a bit of experience in hygiene.
So could we go through each year a little bit to give that audience an understanding of sort of the content of your learning or what your experiences were? Because I've loved that you've got good support. You've had some help with, you know, traveling backwards and forwards from Kirikiroa to Tamaki Makaurau, because that's a bit of a hike. And then across town as well. So, yeah, what was the first year like? What was Tash like? You're walking in there with that determination. What experiences did you have?
[00:15:59] Speaker C: Well, actually, my first year, that was a tricky year because I didn't realize at the time when I had applied that I only got into general health science. So I only just got into a general health science paper. And then when the year started, they're like, halfway through this semester, you'll be able to apply for your certain realms that you want to go in. So from general health science you can choose physio, nursing, oral health, like all sorts. However, there's only a cap number of applicants that they accept for those certain papers. And so in my first year, it was still Covid and I managed for the first semester, I actually did manage to switch over because I know Auckland was red light at the time, and back in Hamilton we were green or orange or. Yeah, we were able to walk around freely. So I changed to become a distance learner for that first semester. And they sort of have still got that implemented at the moment. So I think you can vouch if you are first during your first year, first semester, because they're all just the main core health science papers. So the core health science papers are lifespan and development, knowledge, inquiry, communication and health and environment. Or you can opt to change to Hauora Māori, which is what I did. There's mainly just the core papers and then human anatomy. So the core papers, I could do them all online as a distant student. So that's how I did mine. And in my first year, we had to go very hard out and try to just get as good as we could get, just to make sure that we could try to get look above better than everyone else to get chosen to get into my chosen profession. Because I actually only had oral health as an option. I didn't want to choose anything else. I had Te Whatu Ora funding me. So they were expecting me to go back as an oral health therapist. So that was my only option. So it was very stressful that first semester. The papers were, they were doable. I was managing to get A's. Averaging A. So it was really good. But, yeah, the timing of everything that they had done that year was so stressful that only two days before second semester started was when we found out if we got into our chosen one.
[00:18:40] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:18:41] Speaker C: So two days out was when I found out if I got into oral health. They definitely don't do that now. They've changed it and they actually accept people like, you definitely know if you're in oral health from the get go.
[00:18:56] Speaker A: Goodness, you've had a ride, haven't you? Okay. So then we managed, So then, year two, you're moving into being an on campus student.
[00:19:06] Speaker C: So, year two, I applied for a scholarship to actually live at the Akuranga student village, which is a two minute walk across the car park to the north campus. So I got that through the office of Māori Advancement. It was a $6,000 scholarship. And that helped fund half my fees for the accommodation, which I'm currently in it in my third year as well. So that helped out a lot because it made me less stressful about traveling back and forth, less tired. And I was just able to focus more on my studies, not having my distractions from my family and everything. Although they did still come.
[00:19:52] Speaker A: But, yeah, as a student or as a studying human, you need space and time because it's quite an intensive series of your assignments, your studying. Yeah, you do need a wee space. And I can see Tasha's little room. It looks like a lovely, tidy, warm, sunny little room there with a notice board chock full of notes and pictures and probably encouragement from all the well wishes.
[00:20:20] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:20:22] Speaker A: Yes. In year two, were you. How were you advancing? Which parts of your first year were you building on?
[00:20:31] Speaker C: First year. So we learned the basics for first year and we started doing like, just basic procedures. And then second year was actually a very intense year. Yet again, they were full time. So we learned more about oral biology, oral health assessments, treatment planning, and that type of scenario. And hygiene. Lots about hygiene scope, which I do find quite boring. I'm definitely not a hygienist. Give me oral health therapy any days.
[00:21:06] Speaker A: You are becoming an oral health therapist. Tash, you're nearly there. Yeah. I think we all have parts of our scope that we're more in love with than others. So were you in SIM clinics or were you in real humans by then?
[00:21:24] Speaker C: In first semester we were still in Sim clinic. And then come second semester for second year, we were down at the AIH clinic. So we were in north because they still hadn't properly moved our campus to south. So we were just down the road, which was really good. Like a five minute walk down the hill for me. And actually seeing patients, mainly just hygiene patients that came in.
[00:21:49] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. And they're still. They're still human. So I guess you get level of experience there. Okay. And then you got through second year and, you know, how did that feel that well over halfway?
[00:22:06] Speaker C: Yeah. And I thought, yes, third year should be easy.
[00:22:13] Speaker A: Yeah. But it's just more. It's more, isn't it?
[00:22:16] Speaker C: No, it's more.
[00:22:19] Speaker A: Tell us a bit about your first semester. So, and in the holidays, in your holidays, were you working back in the Waikato?
[00:22:27] Speaker C: Yes, I did go back to work in the Waikato. So every break I got a chance to, I just stayed as a casual dental assistant. So I still worked in the Waikato doing that. I also did bartending casually as well. And just to make. Yeah. Make some extra money.
[00:22:47] Speaker A: Yeah. And when you were going back into that dental assisting as a dental assistant in that space, but also as a learner, how had you. How had your sort of sights changed or your thought patterns changed from when you were doing your dental assisting without having all this knowledge now running around in your head?
[00:23:07] Speaker C: Yeah, I found it. It was actually quite good. And it's really good when you've got oral health therapists or dental therapists that know that you're studying and everything because they're keen to, like, actually talk more in depth with you, which I find really good and really supportive. And they're more like, oh, this is what an actual cavity, like, once we've done the cavity prep, this is what it actually looks like because we're so used to drilling in plastic teeth that we don't know what the inside of a tooth looks like. So I had more oral health therapist showing me that side, which was really good.
[00:23:41] Speaker A: Yeah, that's wonderful because it's giving you that extra sort of extra experiences and extra opportunities to talk through with your peers before you get there. On your own? Not on your own, but, you know, you get there and you're like, right, I'm driving the car now. Yes. Final year. Final year end goal is nearly, you know, is in sight. So how are you setting up for your third year? What's been some of the highlights for it?
[00:24:09] Speaker C: Highlights? My highlight has been that new clinic I attended, the blessing for it. So in the beginning of the year, me and my group of friends, we went for a photo shoot. So we are actually in most of. On the website, we're the promo students. So we took some promotional photography things in there, which was good because that was our first insight into the clinic. So we got to see the clinic before it actually being in use. And it's big and it was very big and white, but now there's more decal and everything, and now that it's thriving, it's. Yeah, so nice. So nice having a good, nice big space. So I went to the blessing that was run by Waka Tainui. They got invited and so with my head of department, Karen, she has been building that relationship with them and just Te Ao Marama. So we had Leanne and friends come from Te Ao Marama.
[00:25:20] Speaker A: Oh, you like the Associations?
[00:25:22] Speaker C: Yeah, those ones.
[00:25:23] Speaker A: I like NZDA and NZOHA.
[00:25:26] Speaker C: Certain people from there.
[00:25:27] Speaker (Becky): How wonderful to bring everyone together, though, to see, like, this is a continuation of our profession. This is, you know, a place of learning, but also a place of connection. So great. So I'm looking forward to seeing the photos on the website. I'll look now.
[00:25:47] Speaker C: So, yeah, that was really good. And then what we've managed to implement at the new clinic is we'll manage to implement more. Like we'll do. When we do our huddles, we'll do karakia. So opening karakia, closing Karakia and just making sure that the space is. Yeah, set.
[00:26:08] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. If you can see my face, I'm just going. Ohhhhhhh, because with my lovely Waikato friends, Jo and Jane and my girls, Becky and one of my favourite DA's and why is her name, she was my favourite. Why has her name slipped my mind? Jessica Wensor, I love you. Yes. So in MDU6, you say, just being able to start the day with a karakia or even a little waiata, that everyone just takes that breath and we're ready for the day. We've set that. You know, we've set that space and, you know, as a non-Māori person who wants to come and be part of that space, it's....I have, you know, absolute respect and admiration for saying that prayer, spirituality or should be acknowledged within that clinical space. As well, because we're doing serious business in here. It's not, you know, it's not paperwork, it's people's bodies and people's lives. And I love that you set that up right from the undergraduate space and I really hope that the new students feel safe enough to go into their new spaces and either join in with that intention of bringing karakia to that space or, you know, being brave that others support them and saying, how would you like to set up your clinic? How would you like mornings to go? So, yeah, good on your task. Get it in there. Beautiful.
[00:27:54] Speaker C: Yeah, that's been my most favourite part about this year, is actually going to south clinic and seeing life patients.
[00:28:01] Speaker A: What's the culmination of all you're learning?
[00:28:05] Speaker C: It's all about, and that's what I want. Like, I'm more of a hands on, not the books.
[00:28:12] Speaker A: But you've done it, babe, honestly, you've done it. And is there any exams that you've got to go through this year? Any more paper based or sort of academic stuff, or are you just experiencing. Not just, but are you just then now utilising all your knowledge and treating patients? So we're still doing a bit more learning.
[00:28:32] Speaker C: So first semester was pretty intense because we had two other papers which was professional ethics and I did a te Kura wai oranga paper. So those were actually quite tricky to implement with my oral health paper because oral health seemed to take over everything and I only had weekends to try to do those other two papers, so I found it so tough and I'm pretty sure other students did too, at trying to, like, juggle and make sure that everything was. Yeah, this year was my first year. I had to really use the special consideration for assignments thing because I just found it too hard to try to juggle everything and it just wasn't working. So it's good that AUT offered that the special consideration and because there was a three day special consideration, so three days, no questions asked. You just got a three day extension, which is pretty much what I needed for a couple of papers.
[00:29:38] Speaker A: Oh, good on you. Asking for help is the only way that you'll get help.
[00:29:43] Speaker C: Yeah. So that was tough. For next semester, I am hoping it's better and just more practical, hands on. I will be going out on my placement. So my placement back home in Kirikiriroa, back with one of my favourite dental therapists, Jo, and hopefully I'll make.
[00:30:07] Speaker A: Sure you will have a great time, I love Jo and just for listeners. She was my mentor/colleague last year, coming back into practice after a year off. Yeah. She's outstanding as a mentor and as a clinician. Absolutely outstanding. So you will have an amazing time with Jo. I know you will. And you'll be so ready. You'll be so ready to graduate.
[00:30:33] Speaker C: I'm pretty sure she was holding off her retirement, just waiting for me to finish, to hand over her cloak.
[00:30:40] Speaker A: That's a seriously great succession plan. Just tell her to stick it in for another year, just to give you that space to grow a bit further.
[00:30:49] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:30:50] Speaker A: Did you hear that, Jo? Okay, so we've talked a bit about some of the struggles with just, you know, juggling time and, gosh, once you're in uni life, you just get on and do it. Right. And what advice would you be offering? You know, some people were sort of on the fence about, could I be an oral health therapist? Why should I be an oral health therapist? And they just see university as a big hurdle that, you know, they can't get past. What would your advice be to them?
[00:31:21] Speaker C: Just do it. Like, just take that jump. I was still skeptical, but then as soon as I started, like, especially in the first semester when we had the core papers, all I could think about, like, when I had to link things, like, I had to choose a certain subject that I wanted to do. I was like, I just kept wanting to do oral health. So I'd look up academic resources and stuff, and I'll be like, I want to do something to do with oral health and for the betterment of Mori people and stuff. So that's what I. And so I'm like, I definitely am. That is my passion.
[00:31:56] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:31:57] Speaker C: And I found that out. Yeah. By studying. Yeah, I recommend. Yeah. You never know what will happen unless you just do it. What I found, especially with my partner Donald, because he didn't really want me to go, but he's been reflecting now that it's my third year, he's been reflecting on his life since I've gone off and had to do this and left him and the kids to fend for themselves for the past couple of years. Is that even in his mahi, he wouldn't be where he is now if I hadn't gone off to study. So he was stuck in a job that wasn't really paying too well at the time. And so when I applied for study, I was like, you need to find a job that actually can see your worth, and you need to start. And so he did apply for a job and got a really good paying job in second year. However, in that second year, he got made redundant from that job. He was too scared to tell me at the time. He found out in August, in my second year, in August, that he got made redundant and that there, his redundancy wouldn't happen till the following year in January. So he waited from August all the way till my last second semester. In about October was when he finally told me that he actually got made redundant, so.
[00:33:22] Speaker A: Oh, so he didn't burden you with that?
[00:33:25] Speaker C: No, he didn't want to burden me with it. So I went through that.
[00:33:28] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:33:28] Speaker C: Just thinking everything's fine. And then when I finished, uni was officially finished and I had gone back home, and then I'm like, oh, cool, like, oh, yeah, how's your job going with everything? He's like, oh, I could find another one. I was like, why are you finding another one? He's like, I've been made. And I was like, since when? So second year was pretty crazy with that aspect of him actually finding a really good job, but then having to lose it. So he went hard out in applying for jobs, and he found he actually got one of his dream jobs that he wanted to work at.
And so he's been there for now. Oh, a year and a bit now. Oh, yeah. Because this is the second birthday that they're celebrating in June that he's been there. So part of enlightenment and he's been reflecting on that. He's like, I actually wouldn't be here if you hadn't gone off to study.
[00:34:24] Speaker A: Yeah. Honestly, what a role model. That is amazing. I mean, just what a testament to your life and to you and Donald as partners in life as well. Yeah, you actually, you know, despite obstacles you're pushing through, babe, and, you know, you'll look back in ten years and be like, that was a bit rough, those years, but, like, I know, amazing. It's a beautiful story. And the fact that, you know, he held space for you to get through that second year. Yeah, you didn't need that worry. Just save it till Christmas.
[00:35:04] Speaker C: So I was like, right, I'm going back to DA then.
[00:35:06] Speaker A: Look at it. Oh, but, yeah, the time passes and it does.
[00:35:11] Speaker C: It goes so fast. Like, I can't believe this is my third and final year and I'm...
[00:35:17] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I cannot wait. I mean, I know you have to get through the rest of the year, but I cannot wait to touch base with you in a year's time. And you'll be on MDU1, and, you know, you'll just. I can just see that you'll be thriving and. Yeah, because you look well and you, you know, you sound so empowered and confident and you know where you're going. You know what you've done. Yeah, it's incredible, Tash. You know, not many people can be that free in life and know what they want to do and where they're going. So you're an incredible inspiration to not only oral health therapy, just woman in Aotearoa, that you're going out there and you're getting it, you're doing it. And I can't wait for you also in the future to become an amazing mentor. And just the influence you're going to have on your community is going to be incredible. So, yeah, I so look forward to seeing your path in oral health, Tash, because so far it's been amazing.
[00:36:20] Speaker C: I know aut have big eyes set on me for the future as well. I'm like, hold up. The head of department sees me in her seat.
[00:36:31] Speaker A: Aim high. It's the only way to go. But look, you know, why not opportunities, you know, those opportunities are there and I don't see why not, because I think that, you know, your infectious laugh and your incredible charisma. Yeah, you'll be great, honestly. So before we round up or, in your heart of hearts where you're just like, that's an issue that I intend to. That I have a solution for. And yes, it is a part. I think part of a health professional's role is that somewhere in us, we've got that desire to help, to heal, to care for others, and that's just an innate part of us. But, yeah, I think magic wands, it's hard for us to dream that big because often we're in this confined space of systems that are already in place or programs that are already in place, and we can't see further than that. But, yeah, dream big. Think of, you had that magic wand. What would you set up? What could you change? Who could you influence in the space?
[00:37:40] Speaker C: I guess the magic one would be that because we still want a job in the end.
[00:37:46] Speaker A: Yes, we do.
[00:37:48] Speaker C: But if it can make it a magic wand, to make it so that every kid won't be so scared of us as a clinician, so that everyone, like, they won't be so nervous about coming in to see us as a part of.
[00:38:02] Speaker A: That's making it more like making that accessibility, isn't it? So that our health is part of life, right? From.
[00:38:11] Speaker C: From the get go.
[00:38:12] Speaker A: That's right. There we go.
[00:38:13] Speaker C: We have enough clinicians around all over the motu.
[00:38:17] Speaker A: Yeah. With services that were approachable and appropriate.
There's that magic wand. Get out there and use it, Tash.
[00:38:26] Speaker C: Pretty much.
[00:38:27] Speaker A: Oh, well, thank you for sharing your time and your story with us today, Tash. Yeah, you're an incredible human being and I thank you so much for sharing your journey and I can't wait to hear a year on where you're at and how you've enjoyed your first year out. But yeah, I wish you really well for graduation and exams and finishing up as a student and then embarking on your new life as an oral health therapist.
[00:38:52] Speaker C: Awesome. Thank you so much, Becky.
[00:38:56] Speaker B: The Whole Tooth Aotearoa/NZ is sponsored by the Clare foundation. The Clare foundation is a progressive philanthropic organisation that wants more for our people and our planet. They're proactively acting in ways to positively influence our environment, oral health, youth, wellbeing and women to create extraordinary change. You can find them at www.clare.nz That's Clare. C- L- A -R- E.
[00:39:24] Speaker A: Kia Ora Oral Health Professional Whānau we hope you enjoyed the podcast today with Natasha Apiti-Pickup as our special guest, from us at Rebecca Ahmadi and associates, we thank you for listening and supporting us.
From us, at the Whole Tooth Ao/NZ, Ka Kite ano.
