Samoan graduate Joseph Johnston is the first in his family to graduate in medicine, and he also won two of the University of Auckland's top medical awards.

Being a trailblazer was always part of Joseph’s path. A former head boy at Auckland’s Saint Paul’s College, Joseph followed in the footsteps of his father and uncles, all former head boys, carrying forward a family legacy of education and excellence.

But medical school, he says, was a new path – for him and for his family.

“I’m one of five siblings. They all have solid and set careers; a couple of them work with my dad in our family business, so I had a lot of great inspiration growing up,” he says. “Coming through school, I knew I had a passion for science, and I knew I wanted to do something where I could make a meaningful, direct impact every day.”

Hailing from the villages of Safotu and Lalovaea, also with Italian heritage, Joseph graduated with a MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery) from the University of Auckland on 9 December. The day before, he took part in the MAPAS Completion Ceremony.

He credits much of his journey to the Māori and Pacific Admissions Scheme (MAPAS).

“I think if I’ve struggled with anything along this journey, it’s definitely been imposter syndrome and asking myself: do I deserve to be here?

“You speak to classmates whose parents or grandparents are doctors, or who were just destined to be a doctor. For me, not having anyone ‘medical’ in my family made me question whether I could do it, whether I was worthy of doing it.”

He says the guidance in the MAPAS programme helped with that.

Leaving high school, Joseph thought medical school was a natural next step, combining his passion for science with a desire to help people.

“I thought if I married the two, it would make sense to become a doctor.”

But the path wasn’t without doubters.

“St Paul’s was a very different school when I first started – it has improved a lot over the years. However, being a small, low-decile school with limited resources, people warned that it would limit my future career prospects.

"That ignited a drive in me to prove them wrong.”

We have the ability to contribute to Māori and Pacific health by impacting our patients in a positive way.

Joseph says being part of the MAPAS programme helped him connect with like-minded students with similar cultural experiences.

“At times, it can feel like this isn’t a place where we belong because of our cultural differences and upbringing. But that’s why MAPAS is important, to combat those narratives.”

Being of Samoan heritage, Joseph has seen first-hand the struggles his people face when it comes to poor health outcomes.

“Often that is a result of wider societal determinants of health, but it also stems from the way clinicians interact with Māori and Pacific patients, and the way we deliver information.”

His Nana has been an inspiration for him to spark change.

“She’d often come home from appointments having not understood a lot, due to cultural and language differences. That ignited a passion in me to change that reality for our Pacific patients.”

Joseph received a University of Auckland Top Achiever Scholarship in his final year of school, which helped with his first year. By his second year, that faith in him was proven: he became a tutor, building networks and helping students navigate placements.

By his final year, his abilities and academic strengths were clear. At the MAPAS Completion Ceremony, he was presented the MAPAS Academic Excellence Award for demonstrating exceptional academic performance throughout his studies. He has also been awarded the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences' J D K North Prize in Clinical Medicine for sustaining the highest marks in his final year of study.

Joseph will start out as a junior doctor in 2026 at North Shore Hospital, and he says he’s excited to see where the journey takes him.