Renata Watene
Ngā Puhi | Tainui | PhD candidate
Renata Watene (Ngā Puhi, Tainui) is an Optometrist and advocate of Māori eye healthcare in Aotearoa. In 2023 she began her PhD in the Community Eye Health team, where she is exploring existing Indigenous models of eye care. Here she reflects on the challenges she has faced after her first year of doctoral studies.
Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka mārama
Seek to discover, Discover to know, Know and become enlightened
Why did you decide to do a PhD?
I would say the PhD chose me. I have been working in the optics space for more than 20 years now, and I have seen in the impacts of a privately funded health care model that creates inequities for consumers of Optometry services. In my own clinics I witnessed vast difference in services and outcomes for Māori patients. There is a large knowledge gap around Māori eyecare and use of Kaupapa Māori in Optometry in particular. With some intervention from my tupuna (grandmother) this path felt like the next step in making a meaningful impact in Optometry.
What’s the most challenging part of your studies so far?
The biggest challenge has been returning to academia from a clinical position and multiple community and governance roles. I was fortunate enough to secure a Clinical Research Fellowship through Health Research Council which contributed significantly by reducing the financial deficit that clinicians usually face if they return to do postgraduate studies.
As an alternative pathway applicant, I have had an incredible year of learning opportunities as I get up to speed with my other research colleagues. I think the feeling of imposter syndrome is very real in this space and it was comforting to learn that even those with significant research background still experience the same concerns that I do around progress of projects and validity of their research.
Working in Indigenous research adds another layer of complexity. Ensuring that the research meets the academic rigour of the Western system while being relationally accountable to our research partners and communities is at times near impossible. Working with Indigenous communities means that all processes and should be culturally appropriate and respected and that there is space for ceremony and tikanga. It is critical that I be very intentional to centre Māori and whānau voice as well, as Maori worldviews are important if we are to develop intergenerational strategies that address inequities. The western concept and indigenous concepts of time have been at odds during this process. ‘Mā te wā’ or all in good time.
What’s the most rewarding part?
The most rewarding part has been the opportunity to meet and learn from experts in equity and Indigenous eye health research. There is an obvious appetite from the local and global community toward more equitable outcomes for Māori and Indigenous Peoples, and it has been rewarding to contribute to conversations that address this. It’s a reminder of why I started this journey in the first place.
What was it like officially completing the first year of your PhD?
Giving my confirmation talk and looking back at what was completed during my first year gave me an immense sense of achievement and a clearer sense of direction for my work. But preparing for my provisional year review was challenging! Reprioritising my time and stepping back from several roles has helped me refine my focus and objectives into achievable goals for the remainder of the PhD journey. Like many processes in a PhD, you learn a lot and know how you would do things differently next time.
What are you focusing on now as you head into your second year?
Building on the strong foundation of my first year, I look forward to the next phases of my research and elevating the voices of our Māori, whānau, students, and practitioners in eyecare. I’m focusing on connecting with Indigenous Eyecare experts (and hopefully finding some more along the way!) to help inform a new eye health system that may lead to changes in how eyecare is delivered.