Veteran GP Leo Revell brings hands-on wisdom to Waikato’s new medical school

Friday, 16 January 2026

When Leo Revell first started working as a GP, scans had barely been invented, and the best way to test for pregnancy involved a frog and a syringe.

The sector has made huge progress since then — not least with modern pregnancy tests — saving many lives in the process.

However Revell says what makes a good doctor remains the same: a genuine interest in patients, and a willingness to consult with colleagues when unsure.

The Hamilton GP is set to join the ranks of those who will share their knowledge with the students at Waikato’s upcoming medical school.

The University of Waikato recently announced his appointment as honorary senior lecturer in the Division of Health.

Revell, a former Waikato Times columnist who practices at Tui Medical Davies Corner, said the role would involve “teaching young doctors hands-on stuff”.

He had been teaching young doctors for about five decades already, including through the similar position he held with the University of Auckland medical school.

“What happens is we give them a chance to see the patient by themselves and when they've had enough time to work out what's wrong, I come in and give them a hand”

While students often arrived at the correct diagnosis, when they didn’t, he would correct their notes and discuss the case with both the patient and the student.

Experience, he said, was the most effective way to learn.

“[Students] read stuff in books, but the first thing you've got to realise is that books often tell you a lot of bull — they’re usually written by people who aren't actually doing the job.”

The new medical school was a wonderful thing, he said.

Many people he encountered, such as nurse practitioners, had the ability to become doctors, and would now have the opportunity to do so.

Revell, who became a fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners in 1992, had qualifications from the University of Leeds, and the University of Otago.

He had worked continuously in primary care since 1977, and said the medical field had made tremendous progress during that time.

When he started out, pregnancy was detected using the Hogben test, which involved injecting ‘poor frogs’ with a person’s urine sample.

If a certain pregnancy hormone was present, the frog would start laying eggs.

Diagnosing ectopic pregnancies was difficult, and three or four months could pass before the potentially fatal situation was discovered.

He saw several such cases, although luckily the women survived.

Ectopic pregnancies were now diagnosed much faster due to modern pregnancy tests and ultrasounds — the latter was also good for detecting gallstones and aortic aneurysms.

“Before ultrasound, it was hard to examine patients, and a lot of people died. With my machine, we diagnosed aneurysms and saved lives.”

Advances in imaging — including MRI, CT and PET scans — had also greatly improved diagnosis and treatment over the years.

Vaccines had also been transformative, and many children’s lives had been saved through widespread immunising against conditions such as measles and pneumonia.

Despite the progress, a significant ongoing problem was people who needed medical care being unable to afford it.

Revell had helped to cofound a free medical centre for Pacific Island communities in partnership with K’aute Pasifika Trust.

He also used to work at Tui Medical Hamilton Central, where he said people could still be seen for free, hugely improving their access to care.

“Cost of living is bad [but] at least our wonderful bosses have provided free medical care for those who really need it.”

Pro Vice- Chancellor of Health Jo Lane said the university was continuing to build the medical school team, including more than 70 honorary clinical academic appointments so far.

“Our honorary clinical academics will contribute to teaching, curriculum development and student support, bringing expertise and experience that directly benefits our students.”

The university was pleased to have appointed Revell, and looked forward to welcoming him and his new colleagues.