Surgeon – Rata Hāparapara
“I wanted to look after all tangata whenua, not just tangata Māori, and have picked a discipline which is hard, but super rewarding, getting rid of cancers, which adversely affect our young Māori whānau.” Nigel Henderson, General Surgeon, Bowel Cancer Specialist
About the Career
A surgeon is a physician who performs operations on people. Surgery is done to prevent and treat diseases, correct deformities, repair injuries and also to improve the appearance.
Personal qualities you need
- to care about and work well with people from all cultures and backgrounds
- patience, motivation, and ability to remain calm under pressure and in emergencies
- to be good at managing time, a problem solver and able to make good decisions
- excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
- strong understanding of cultural needs, especially relating to medical treatment
- accurate, strong at analysing and interpreting information and keeping it confidential
Career Pathway
Find out more about the career here:
https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/health/surgeon/
Positions in Surgical Medicine
Surgeon (General): Performs surgery on a broad range of medical conditions.
Ophthalmologist: Specialises in the eye.
Cardiothoracic Surgeon: Performs heart and lung surgery.
Neurosurgeon: Treats the brain and nervous system.
Orthopaedic Surgeon: Treats the bones.
Otorhinolaryngologist: Treats the ear, nose, and throat.
Paediatric Surgeon: Specialises in the surgery of foetuses, babies, children and adolescents.
Plastic And Reconstructive Surgeon: Repairs or improves lost, injured, defective, or deformed body parts.
Urologist: Treats the kidney, bladder and urethra, and the male sex organs.
Vascular Surgeon: Treats blood vessels like veins and arteries
Our Whānau Career Story
Nigel Henderson, General Surgeon/ Bowel Cancer Specialist
Takitimu te maunga
Mataura te Awa
Otakou te marae
Ngai Tahu te Iwi
Ngāti Huirapa, Ko Ngai Te Ruahikehike te hapu
Ko Nigel Henderson ahau
Where do I work and what do I do?
Taranaki Base Hospital/ Southern Cross Hospital and Private sector/ Bowel cancer specialist
What was my career pathway to get where I am / and what led me to this?
I am a long way from my turangawaewae, my whānau were from rural Southland, that’s where I grew up, but my parents shifted to Hawkes Bay when I was at Medical school and I didn’t know the North Island very well, so I ended up here!
We were raised in the deep south, but with a loving and disengaged (from Tikanga) whānau. I broke my leg when I was fourteen, spent a week in hospital, and a summer in a full-length cast, and thought ‘Aue’, orthopaedic surgeons were cool!
So, I went to Otago Uni, and got into med school. After six years of that, and a couple of years as a house surgeon here in Taranaki, I realised I wasn’t into that, so switched to general surgery. And then realised I wasn’t an orthopaedic surgeon (very rigid discipline), so I switched to General Surgery, and am now a bowel cancer specialist. I also do hernia’s, livers gallbladders, trauma skin etc….variety is the spice of life!
My wife and two girls are Taranaki locals, and I am becoming one, I guess.
“My why” for doing this job and making a difference for Māori
All surgeons are committed, just by the very nature of what and how we do what we do, and the will needed to cut people up. Short-term pain for a long-term goal.
I wanted to look after all tangata whenua, not just tangata Māori, and have picked a discipline which is hard, but super rewarding, getting rid of cancers, which adversely affect our young Māori whānau.
I also represent for the people on many different levels, personally at work, in committees at a regional and a national level.
I look forward to contributing to the Why Ora Rapuara Hauora workshops at Base Hospital, so we can talk more about a career in medicine or health care in person with rangatahi.
