Getting into medicine at Otago

Can I still get into medicine if I fail as an undergraduate student, (doing FYHS) as only 7% get in? If so what are my alternatives, other ways of getting into med?

Hi @5d3e640ccc37c96401f2,

Thanks for your question. This, from one of our MedView team members, should be helpful!

Yes - there are two other pathways in addition to HSFY:

a) Postgraduate entry

  • You will need to complete a bachelor degree to enter through this pathway.
  • This is a less competitive pathway, however, your grades across the 3-year degree (Year 1 being HSFY) will need to be up around the A/A- range or better.
  • You can complete an undergraduate degree in anything you like before applying, e.g neuroscience or even economics. Most students will do something like physiology as their degree as this is a major part of the Medical Degree they wish to be doing in the future.
  • The last thing to note is that when calculating your GPA, 3rd Year has a greater weighting than 2nd Year, which is greater than 1st Year. This means even if HSFY goes terribly you still have a good chance!

b) Alternative entry

  • This is based on “life experience”. People who have been nurses or other health professionals may be granted entry into medicine via this pathway.

So the postgraduate pathway is the one for you! Hope this helps!