Visits by groups of students from Auckland’s Epsom Girls Grammar School who are interested in careers in medicine, are almost creating a new phrase, Career Tourism.

Earlier last month, 24 Year 12 and 13 girls not only had the chance to visit health-related facilities to learn about health and medical issues in Samoa from leading figures such as Toleafoa Dr Viali Lameko, but it also fired up their own plans to return as tourists or volunteers in the future.

The prime organiser and spokesperson Rachel Heeney has confirmed that another group of 21 students will be visiting Samoa in September. 

Rachel, who did a teaching placement here 21 years ago said one of the reasons for the success of the visits and the decision to return with other groups was that “they have been offered many opportunities to see medicine from a number of angles.”

On their visit in July, as well as an “inspirational talk” from Toleafoa the students visited the hospital, Mapuifagalele; the Cancer Society; the Poutasi Community Hospital; the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum and the Cultural Centre in Apia.