Pathways into Medicine in New Zealand
5 months ago by Chris
There are many pathways to enter medicine in New Zealand. The most straightforward journey, followed by most candidates, is the first year entry pathway. However, there are other routes into medicine available, including graduate entry and studying medicine in Australia.
First year entry into medicine
For most students, the ideal pathway into medicine is after first year university, which allows students to start medical school sooner. This pathway involves excellent grades in the first year of study at Auckland or Otago University as well as a strong UCAT score. You will also need to perform well in an interview if applying to Auckland university medicine or Otago university dentistry. Your first year of study will be in a health science or biomedical science degree.
For students applying for first year entry, the process is extremely competitive. Realistically, applicants should expect to need a top GPA, especially at Otago where GPA contributes significantly to entrance ranking. This being said, first year entry is very possible, with about 100 students selected every year at each of the two medical schools.
If you are a student attempting first year entry, your priority should be to aim for as close to a 9.0 GPA as possible. GPA accounts for 60% of your application to Auckland medical school, and 100% at Otago. A high GPA can be maintained with good study habits, hard work, and planning. You should allocate sufficient time to prepare for UCAT as well, ensuring you score as high as possible (especially for Auckland university). Achieving a poor UCAT score at Auckland university can mean you are unlikely to gain entrance from first year, and may need to pursue the graduate entry route.
Interview is an important part of the application to Auckland university medicine and Otago university dentistry, so obtaining volunteer / work experience and engaging in self-reflection throughout the year will be helpful. Closer to your interview, interview preparation is recommended.
Graduate entry medicine
The graduate entry pathway into medicine is open to students who have graduated recently from a New Zealand/overseas University. Entry criteria include GPA, UCAT and an interview. Many students apply for graduate entry medicine after an unsuccessful attempt at first year entry, and other apply out of a newfound interest in medicine.
Students who are unsuccessful in first year application are faced with a choice. Some apply to other clinical programs like optometry or pharmacy at the same time as medicine, and are accepted into one of these degrees. Applications for these courses should be made at the same time as your application to medical school. Other students continue with their health science or biomedical science degrees, and some switch to an entirely different course. Regardless, upon completing these degrees all students graduating with a GPA over 6.0, and a recent UCAT score, can apply to medicine as a graduate. If a low UCAT score was the reason you were unsuccessful in your first year application, you fortunately have upwards of two years to prepare for the next one.
Facing further years of study to apply for medicine again can be daunting, but there are benefits. Graduates often have the ability to work in their graduating field during the early years of their medical degree (particularly those who have studied a vocational course such as nursing, pharmacy or optometry) and graduates often have life experience to better connect with patients.
Entry schemes
Auckland and Otago University are committed to improving representation in the future health workforce, in particular for rural, Māori, and Pacific populations. As part of this program, the Universities have entrance schemes, which consist of dedicated places for particular students.
If you qualify for these entrance schemes (MAPAS / RRAS at Auckland, sub-categories at Otago), they are likely the single most effective way to improve your chances for entrance into medicine. Approximately 60-80 places every year are set aside specifically for MAPAS students at Auckland University alone. These entry schemes are available for both first year and graduate entry pathways.
Studying medicine in Australia
Another pathway to medical school for New Zealand students is applying to study in Australia. Students have the best chance of securing entry into an Australian university when they apply in year 13 (it is possible to sit the UCAT in year 13). There are many advantages to studying medicine in Australia, including being able to apply to a wide range of universities (thereby increasing your chances of entry) as well as being able to enter medicine directly after school. UCAT and interviews are heavily weighted when applying to medical school in Australia, so quality preparation is essential. More information can be obtained in our blog about studying medicine in Australia as a Kiwi.
A Final Word
There are advantages and disadvantages to each pathway into Medicine. At the end of the day, if your UCAT, GPA and interview performance does not secure you a place in medicine, there are other opportunities available to follow your dreams.
Note that almost all pathways into medicine in New Zealand require you to sit and succeed in UCAT. Therefore, quality UCAT preparation is important.
For more information on pathways to Medicine, and specific entry requirements for each university, please read our free MedEntry UCAT Handbook.
