Cook Islander Makes History as New Zealand’s First Pacific Female Orthopaedic Surgeon

For Dr Ailsa Wilson, becoming New Zealand’s first Pacific female orthopaedic surgeon is more than a personal achievement. It is a proud moment for her aiga, her community, and her Cook Islands roots.

Now working in the Orthopaedics Department at Tauranga Hospital, Wilson has reached a milestone few achieve, after years of study, training, sacrifice, and determination in one of medicine’s most demanding specialties.

Her journey into orthopaedics started early in her medical career when a surgeon at Middlemore Hospital saw something in her and encouraged her to consider the field.

"My first ever run as a junior registrar was alongside Dan Lemanu and Renus Stowers, who are now respected Pacific orthopaedic surgeons. They were two Pacific doctors with similar backgrounds and values to myself who became my friends. They inspired me and gave me confidence that this was a path I could also pursue," she said.

Wilson was awarded the Pasifika Medical Association's Dr Joe Williams Scholarship in 2022, right at the beginning of her orthopaedic training. She says the scholarship became a key source of support as she moved around the motu to complete her training.

"I was incredibly fortunate to receive the Joe Williams Scholarship at the beginning of my orthopaedic training. Since then, my training has taken me across the North Island, from Wellington to Auckland. The scholarship provided invaluable support throughout that journey," she said.

While making history is something she is deeply proud of, Wilson says seeing more Pacific women entering orthopaedic surgery is even more exciting.

"I am deeply honoured to be recognised as the first Pacific female orthopaedic surgeon in New Zealand. However, what brings me even greater pride is seeing increasing numbers of Pacific women also choosing orthopaedic surgery as a career.

"This is just the beginning for us and I hope we all continue to demonstrate to others that there is a place for us in these spaces.” she said.

For Wilson, culture is not something she leaves at the hospital door. She says her identity shapes the way she cares for patients and their families every day.

"My language, culture, and identity are central to who I am. Growing up in Tokoroa, my culture was woven into us from a young age. Whenever I meet Pacific or Māori patients and families, I am reminded of why it is important for me to be here—being able to connect and optimise care for our patients," she said.

As the first Pacific woman in New Zealand to reach this milestone in orthopaedic surgery, Wilson hopes her story shows young Pacific people that these pathways are open to them too.

"My journey has taught me that representation matters. When younger ones can see someone who looks like them and shares similar backgrounds and values, they can also believe that they belong in these spaces," she said.

Wilson’s achievement is a huge moment for Pacific representation in medicine and another reminder of what is possible when our people are supported to dream big, back themselves, and take up space in places where we have traditionally been underrepresented.