A man being investigated by police for allegedly using fake documents to secure a job as a doctor at Middlemore Hospital was previously trespassed from a university after posing as a medical student for two years.
Stuff understands the man worked in the respiratory department at Middlemore in south Auckland for several months before it was discovered he was not in fact a registered doctor.
A doctor, who Stuff has agreed not to name, said the man was in his university class when he was found to have forged a student ID card for the University of Auckland and was doing cadaver dissections.
“We were all very shocked when it happened. I can’t believe it’s happened a second time … it’s pretty horrific.
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“It’s his second bite at the cherry,” the doctor said.
The doctor said the man was a “pretty nice guy” but people in the class were angry when it was found out he was not in fact a student.
At the time, a spokesperson from the university’s medical school said the man participated in the second and third year of the six-year medical course.
He was alleged to have dissected cadavers, the spokesperson confirmed.
Over the two-year period, he evaded lecturers by not putting his name to anything, he said.
On Thursday, the University of Auckland confirmed the student involved in that incident was the same person alleged to have gained employment at Counties Manukau DHB using false documents.
Kathryn George/Stuff
A man is alleged to have worked at Middlemore Hospital without being registered as a doctor. (File photo)
The university confirmed the man was never enrolled in and did not graduate from the School of Medicine.
In 2012, professor John Fraser, the dean of the faculty of medical and health sciences, said the university was “extremely concerned to discover that a person who applied for entry into the medical programme in 2010 and was unsuccessful has since been attending classes”.
Because of the size of the medical class and by not submitting assessments or sitting tests, the individual was able to deceive classmates and teachers, Fraser said.
“Ultimately the presence of this person was detected when an assignment was submitted that did not match any name on the class list.
“This individual is not a student and is not on any class list. This person has not been given any confidential or restricted training material and has not, to our knowledge, ever been able to examine any patients or received confidential patient information.”
Fraser said at the time it was the first instance in the 43-year history of the medical school.
In 2010, Auckland University associate professor Warwick Bagg said the man had scammed his way into the course after failing to get in.
“Students at the university practice on each other which is an issue. They’re not very happy about the situation – they gave consent.”
Grahame Cox/Stuff
Associate Professor Warwick Bagg and Professor John Fraser in 2012, after details came to light about the student.
Bagg said the man and his family were in great distress following the public outing and staff were concerned for his well-being. His family had not known he was not officially enrolled in his course.
“Medicine is a profession built on trust, we proudly teach ethics and professionalism to our students,” Prof Bagg said.
Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau has confirmed it filed a complaint to the police regarding the man allegedly working as a doctor.
A spokesperson for the organisation said the man was employed in February “on the basis of documentation that was not authentic”.
It does not appear that the man is registered as a medical professional in either New Zealand or Australia.
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