Aus Student applying to Medicine in NZ

Med School Questions New Zealand
1

Hi Everyone!

I was a bit curious on knowing what the application process is like if you are an Australian Student applying for a Medical degree in New Zealand such as Otago or University of Auckland. Do Aus students count as international or domestic students? Also, is there a separate way to apply? In terms of our HSC and ATAR how does that change to better suit the NZ application process? Do Aus students get any benefits from studying in NZ?

Thanks!

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Hi Praanav,

Thanks for your question! Australian citizens and permanent residents are considered domestic students in New Zealand so will follow the same process as NZ students.

In New Zealand, we do not have direct entry to medicine and so you need to complete 1 year of university before you can apply. At Otago you complete Health Science First Year and at Auckland you can complete 1 year of Health Science or Biomedical Science. Entry to these years is based on your ATAR, you need an ATAR of 74+ for Otago or 90+ for Auckland. It is your performance during this first year that determines whether you progress to medicine or not. You will be ranked based on your grades during the year, your UCAT score (you must resit during this year) and an interview (only for Auckland). To apply for First year, you need to apply direct to the institution (we don’t have Tertiary Admissions Centres here). The deadline is 1 December for Auckland and 10 December for Otago although if you want to apply for scholarships or Halls of Residence, these applications close in August. There are no real benefits compared to doing medicine in Australia but it does offer a second chance pathway to students who don’t have a high enough ATAR/UCAT to get in direct after Year 12. Some students would prefer this to completing a degree and sitting the GAMSAT exam to go through the Postgraduate pathway to medicine.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask otherwise check out our MedView website for some more info and book in a 1 on 1 consultation for some free personalised advice about the process.

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