The Mobile Surgical Unit – Te Waka Hauora can arrive in a remote community, open its doors, and within hours be delivering specialist healthcare that might otherwise require patients to travel hundreds of kilometres.
For five weeks, fifth-year medical student Faith DeCourcy stepped into the rhythm of rural healthcare, travelling with the mobile surgical unit and seeing firsthand the impact of bringing care closer to home.
Originally from rural Australia, Faith moved to New Zealand in 2020 and has strong family ties through whānau connections in Paeroa. During a year-long placement at Te Kūiti Hospital, she discovered a passion for rural medicine.
Faith’s introduction to Mobile Health Group came through Fieldays, where she spent time in the Health and Wellbeing Hub and saw in action the collaboration and energy that goes into improving health outcomes for rural New Zealanders.
“I fell in love with rural health through the people working in it. Everyone is so committed to making a difference and genuinely connected to the communities they serve,” Faith says.
That experience left a lasting impression and made a placement on the surgical unit a natural next step.
Over five weeks, Faith travelled the motu, joining a variety of clinical teams and supporting services ranging from paediatric dental and endoscopy through to general surgery and gynaecology. Each day brought a new location and each week a new team.
“Working with a different team each week was incredibly valuable. I was exposed to so many different people and ways of working, while also experiencing rural communities I may never otherwise have visited,” she says.
For many people, the idea of a fully functioning operating theatre on wheels can be difficult to imagine.
“After the first couple of days, you honestly forget you’re on a mobile unit. Patients come in and out, procedures happen, the team resets between cases, and everything flows just like any other operating theatre.”
Faith adds that the constant change could have been daunting but instead it became one of the placement’s greatest strengths.
“Because I was moving around so much, I learned how to adapt quickly, build relationships and find my place within different teams. Those are skills I’ll carry with me throughout my career.”
What impressed Faith the most was the people. Initially, she admits she wondered how she would fit within such a well-established crew, but those concerns quickly disappeared.
“Everyone seemed to know exactly what needed to happen and when. The teamwork was incredible. They were always willing to explain what they were doing and involve me in what was happening. I never felt like an observer. I genuinely felt part of the team.”
She particularly credits her first-week mentors, Chris and Karenza, with helping build her confidence.
“Chris really took me under his wing and made sure I felt involved. Because of that foundation, I arrived at each new site feeling comfortable and ready to contribute. By the end of the placement, I felt so integrated into the team that it feels strange to move on.”
Travelling across Aotearoa also gave Faith an opportunity to see healthcare through a much broader lens. One experience that left a lasting impression was witnessing the culturally responsive care provided to Māori patients and whānau, particularly in Northland.
“A team member who stood out to me was Mars. Her ability to connect with patients through te reo Māori demonstrated just how important culturally responsive care is.”
She recalls one young patient who arrived feeling anxious ahead of surgery.
“Mars spoke to the child and whānau in te reo Māori, which was the child’s first language, and the difference was incredible. You could see them relax almost immediately.”
For Faith, it was a powerful reminder that healthcare extends far beyond clinical expertise.
“It showed me how language, culture and connection can help people feel safe during what can be a really stressful experience.”
She also witnessed the care taken to recognise cultural values and practices, from involving whānau in care decisions to ensuring patients could keep treasured personal items, such as pounamu, with them during surgery.
Among the many procedures Faith observed, it was the paediatric dental service that had the greatest impact. Having never previously witnessed children undergoing anaesthesia, she found herself reflecting not only on the young patients but also on their families.
“There’s a parent standing there watching their child go to sleep and trusting you completely. Then they’re asked to step away and wait. Learning how to support both the child and the parent was something entirely new for me.”
The experience also highlighted broader health challenges affecting many communities.
“Seeing the extent of dental disease affecting some children really moved me. I grew up in a situation where seeing the dentist every year was routine and a filling was a big deal. I saw children having multiple fillings, crowns and extractions in a single procedure. We get very little dental exposure throughout medical school, yet poor oral health has significant impacts later in life.”
Faith’s experience sparked important questions around prevention, access to care and health equity.
“It made me think much more deeply about what can be done to prevent children reaching that point. It’s something I’m taking away with me and incorporating into my own research interests.”
While the clinical learning was invaluable, Faith says the people she met are what she will remember most. From local healthcare teams and host sites to the surgical unit drivers, affectionately known as “Steerologists”, she encountered warmth and generosity wherever she travelled.
One destination stood out in particular. “Tākaka,” she says with a laugh. “The welcome was incredible. You instantly felt part of the community, and we were well looked after with delicious kai.”
Faith also speaks highly of the many teams that came together from different organisations and locations to deliver care.
“In Northland, endoscopy nurses travelled from Whangārei to Kawakawa and integrated seamlessly into the service. By the second day, it felt like everyone had worked together forever. It was amazing to watch.”
As she looks toward her future as a doctor, Faith’s time on the surgical unit has only strengthened her commitment to rural medicine.
When asked what advice she would give other medical students considering a rural pathway, she doesn’t hesitate.
“Listen to that pull if you feel it. Working rurally feels different. There’s less hierarchy, everyone is focused on helping their community, and the impact you have on people’s lives feels very real.”
The future clinician believes there is a reason many students find themselves drawn to rural health.
“If you’re asking yourself whether rural health might be for you, there’s probably a reason. The variety of what you’ll see and learn is extraordinary. Every person who walks through the door is different from the last, and you need to have that generalist mindset ready to go.”
As the kilometres rolled by and the weeks unfolded, Faith gained far more than clinical knowledge. She witnessed extraordinary teamwork, experienced the warmth of rural communities, and saw how healthcare can be transformed when services meet people where they are. Most importantly, she gained a deeper understanding of the communities she hopes to serve.
“There’s a real calling to give back to our communities. I felt that during my time in Te Kūiti, and again on the surgical unit. Working in rural communities, you see how much of a difference accessible healthcare can make, and how important it is to have people who understand those communities.”
Did you know? The Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Secondary School Leavers Health Career Scholarships 2026 are NOW open.
Find out more: https://mobilehealth.co.nz/scholarship/