Meet Dr. Paea Leakehe — Curiosity, Community & Care at Botany Junction Medical

There’s a certain kind of doctor who doesn’t just treat patients — they show up for people. Dr. Paea Leakehe is one of those doctors, and after a journey that’s taken her from Auckland to Melbourne and back again, she’s found her home at Botany Junction Medical.

A career shaped by purpose

Now in her fifth year of practice, Dr. Paea began her medical journey at the University of Auckland before spending two and a half years at Middlemore Hospital and Starship, gaining experience across a wide range of clinical settings. From there, she took a leap across the Tasman, working in Melbourne and taking on short stints in rural areas including Wagga Wagga — broadening both her skills and her perspective.

But something kept pulling her back. “I missed home,” she says simply. So last year she returned to New Zealand and stepped into the world of general practice — a move that’s proven to be exactly the right fit.

Why Botany Junction Medical?

The short answer? Two very persuasive friends. Colleagues Derryn and Roimata had worked alongside Dr. Paea at a previous clinic and couldn’t stop singing Botany Junction Medical’s praises. Their enthusiasm was infectious — and it turned out to be well-founded.

“I became a doctor to serve my people,” she explains. Of Pacific heritage, Dr. Paea has always been motivated by a desire to reduce health inequities and advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves. Botany Junction Medical offered something important: a different demographic, more variety, and a genuine opportunity to give back to a community that matters to her.

“Since moving here I have loved it — it has delivered on everything I hoped for.”

The supportive management team helped seal the deal, and the practice’s existing use of AI for quality improvement was a significant drawcard too — more on that shortly.

Always learning, always growing

As a doctor still in her training years, Dr. Paea came to Botany Junction Medical with a clear goal: to learn as much as possible, and not just academically. “I want to develop culturally as well,” she says. “It’s been really cool to develop my cultural competence and cultural safety while also learning good medicine.”

With many of the clinic’s doctors holding their fellowship, she’s found herself surrounded by exactly the kind of expertise she was hoping to learn from. “It’s been amazing learning from the experts at our workplace.”

A passion for mental health and the future of digital healthcare

Before pursuing general practice, Dr. Paea had her sights set on psychiatry — and that passion hasn’t gone anywhere. Mental health remains a strong area of interest in her work today.

But there’s another area she’s quietly becoming an expert in: the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare. She’s currently studying a paper in AI and healthcare, and she’s genuinely excited about what the future holds. “I’m curious to see how digital literacy can improve systems so things become more efficient and we can provide better care.”

For her, it’s not about technology for its own sake — it’s about what it can do for patients. And with everything still evolving, she’s looking forward to being part of whatever comes next.

Life outside the clinic

When she’s not seeing patients or hitting the books, Dr. Paea keeps herself busy in a few meaningful ways. She’s part of a women’s CrossFit gym and enjoys the community and challenge it brings. Music is another outlet — she plays the piano and has a deep love for it.

Perhaps most notably, she also hosts a podcast about her experience as a minority in medical school, drawing on her faith and personal journey to support others who might find themselves in similar positions. It’s advocacy in action — the same instinct that drew her to medicine in the first place.

The motivation that started it all

Ask Dr. Paea why she became a doctor, and her answer is clear and unwavering: to reduce inequities, and to advocate for people who aren’t able to do so for themselves.

“That’s always been my biggest motivation,” she says. “Hopefully I can reflect that passion in the way I care for patients.”

At Botany Junction Medical, we think she already is.

Dr. Paea Leakehe is now seeing patients at Botany Junction Medical.