Kathy Feng

Customer Care and Clinical Records Coordinator, Allevia Hospitals
Bachelor of Health Science in Health Management with a minor in Digital Services

She chose AUT because of the practical workplace experience aspects the university offers, says Kathy Feng who studied a Bachelor of Health Science in Health Management with a minor in Digital Services.

“I had always known that I wanted to work within the healthcare sector. I started my journey at AUT studying nursing, but during my first-year clinical placement I realised that the standard of healthcare delivery is largely dependent on management. This was a lightbulb moment for me, and I immediately began looking into healthcare management. Gaining workplace experience was really important for me, and my final-year workplace experience was super helpful to my learning and, later on, for securing a full-time job opportunity.”

She had a number of highlights throughout her time at AUT.

“I felt really supported by my older classmates who had years of work experience and insights that they shared in our class discussions. For this, I really appreciated the melting pot of ages that the health management cohort had. Because I was studying courses from health management as well as digital services, which is from the Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences, I could enjoy what all of the AUT’s campuses had to offer. It was a great way to meet other students from different disciplines. I also really enjoyed the health law course, and liked how it challenged me to think differently and argue points backed with evidence. This course also introduced the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights which every medical practice must adhere to.

“During my studies I also joined my faculty’s student shadow board, which felt like a nod to what health management would be like. This experience helped me understand how naïve my thinking could be at times. An example of this was when we had a meeting discussing the cost of parking at AUT and we were trying to advocate for cheaper parking for students. In the end we weren’t able to have cheaper parking as sites were managed by third parties. This taught me to consider added layers of constraints around healthcare, recognise which aspects are difficult to control and find ways to problem-solve around this.”

Behind the scenes of patient care
After graduating from AUT in 2025, Kathy now enjoys her role as a customer care and clinical records coordinator for Allevia Hospitals, New Zealand's largest and fastest expanding private surgical hospital group.

“In my current role, I really enjoy working as part of a bigger team. I’m on the administrative side, where we prepare the necessary paperwork and collect payment so that surgeries can proceed. There always seems to be something new that we’re learning which makes me feel really productive. I also enjoy interacting with patients and being able to help them feel more at ease for their upcoming procedure. I’m grateful to work at Allevia Hospitals where my managers are supportive of my growth and provide me with opportunities to work on the projects I’m interested in.”

In her work now, she often remembers one particular course from her AUT degree.

“My favourite health law course helped me understand why we do things the way we do, not from a common sense perspective but from a legal obligation side of things. You understand a lot more about privacy obligations when working with sensitive personal data every day, like I do in my current role.”

Advice for other students
Kathy has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their own university journey.

“My advice is to really put yourself out there for your workplace experience – reach out, go for a placement that is relevant to your interests and that would teach you the most. I had some moments where I felt lost as there was no immediate and relevant graduate role for me when I finished my studies. Some of my peers had worked before entering this degree, so it was more of a supplementary qualification for them. For me, it became very important to be confident in my choices, and this confidence is built up from gaining experience.”

Prepare ahead if you want to apply for scholarships or opportunities after graduation, she adds.

“I did very well academically and was offered the opportunity to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship. I didn’t end up going ahead with it, but it was something I was surprised AUT kept an eye out for. If you’re keen on applying for the Rhodes Scholarship or other opportunities, I’d recommend that you work on building your application or portfolio for this early on.”