Mohamed Abdulkadir Mohamed
Project Advisor Health and Safety Lead, New Zealand Ethnic Women’s Trust
Bachelor of Health Science in Health Management
He is making decisions to help people every day, says health management alumnus Mohamed Abdulkadir Mohamed who now works as a project advisor health and safety lead at the New Zealand Ethnic Women’s Trust.
“The New Zealand Ethnic Women’s Trust is a charity in the heart of central Auckland that assists refugee and migrant families. My role involves working on the Community Connector service alongside the Ministry of Social Development.
“We’ve helped distribute over 1,000 food parcels and medication to aid isolating New Zealanders. We’ve also been assisting families going through financial hardship. My role also includes auditing and ensuring that the New Zealand Ethnic Women’s Trust sites are safe for children and families.”
Mohamed joined the New Zealand Ethnic Women’s Trust after previously working as a quality coordinator for the New Zealand Health Group, New Zealand’s largest network of healthcare providers.
Inspired to make a difference
For Mohamed, the first step towards the rewarding career he has now was enrolling in AUT’s Bachelor of Health Science in Health Management.
“Studying health management enables you to develop a firm understanding of the New Zealand healthcare system and gives you the tools to analyse the current system. The degree encourages students to identify any areas for improvement and gives you the skillset to develop into a leader. Having the ability to include a minor like Business Management as part of your degree also gives you an understanding of how deeply business and healthcare are intertwined.”
He also enjoyed learning about healthcare at an international level and being able to connect his learning to his background, says Mohamed who was two when he arrived in New Zealand as a refugee from Somalia.
“During my studies I always connected what I learned in courses like disaster risk management and quality in the health sector to my own background. These courses inspired me to use my own nation, Somalia, as a case study and identify areas of improvement. Learning how robust and well thought-out the New Zealand healthcare system is gave me insights into what works well and how it could be incorporated in upcoming developing nations like Somalia.
“My programme leader Dr Jalal Mohammed’s research efforts of improving the Fijian healthcare sector have enlightened me and given me the determination to one day do the same in my own homeland.”
Invaluable workplace experience
Being able to complete workplace experience at the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) as part of the final year of his degree was a highlight for Mohamed who graduated at the end of 2020.
“During my final-year workplace experience, I was given the fantastic opportunity to learn how our biggest healthcare provider operates at a ground level. I worked at ACC’s Newmarket office where I was mentored and given a chance to display my learnings in a practical real environment. This helped me develop confidence in myself and strengthened my passion for working in the healthcare sector.”
In his role now, he constantly draws on the skills he developed throughout his time at university.
“I was very proud to enter the workforce with a solid foundation of knowledge that has helped me in my role. The courses I studied at AUT are imperative in my line of work now.”
