Keegan Pook
Sports Podiatrist/Clinical Director of Podiatry, Axis Sports Medicine
Bachelor of Health Science (Podiatry)
Achieving great outcomes for patients makes the job very rewarding, says Keegan Pook who is now a sports podiatrist at Axis Sports Medicine and has worked extensively with elite New Zealand sports teams, including the All Blacks, Warriors and the Silver Ferns.
“Axis is a multidisciplinary sports medicine practice, and I enjoy working alongside sports physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. As a podiatrist specialising in sports podiatry, my responsibilities include biomechanic assessments, footwear expertise, and orthotic designs and manufacture. As a clinical director I ensure that best practice and up-to-date technology are used in our clinics, and I look after the onboarding of new podiatrists and any podiatry students who are doing their clinical placements with us.”
He says he still frequently refers back to what he learned during his time at university.
“AUT taught me how to network really well and, moving forwards into my career, this skill has been crucial for building and maintaining relationships with other health professionals.”
Finding his path
Keegan says that while he knew early on that AUT was the right university for him, finding his way to podiatry took a little longer.
“When I was in high school, I had a really good experience at a careers expo in my school where the AUT student recruitment representative made it easy for me to decide at which tertiary institute I wanted to study. I started studying sport and recreation, but didn’t feel I had really found my calling and after one and a half years I switched to podiatry. I talked to an advisor in the Employability and Careers team, and she was amazing. She spent three sessions with me, helping me decide what I really wanted to study and helped me find podiatry, a profession I had never heard of prior to these sessions.”
It’s a decision he certainly hasn’t regretted.
“Podiatry is usually a small cohort of students, so my classmates and I were always very close. The lecturers were also very easy to approach and easy to get along with. There were a lot of opportunities for questions and discussions. This made for a very enjoyable study experience. The AUT North Campus was a good study environment, with great student support, student accommodation and sporting opportunities. You never had to look far to get help if needed.
“I was also fortunate to be a student representative in all three years of my podiatry degree, meeting with the head of the faculty to represent my cohort. I finished as the top clinical student in my second and third year of my podiatry degree. I was invited to be part of an interprofessional health programme developed by AUT, contributed to a published research paper, and served as a delegate for the World Interprofessional Health Conference held in 2019 at the AUT City Campus.”
Advice for other students
Keegan, who graduated from AUT in 2019, has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their own university journey.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.”
Make the most of your time at university, he adds.
“Don't be scared of getting involved in the AUT culture. These will be some of the best times of your life, and you’ll make memories and friendships that last forever.”
