A step-by-step guide to studying medicine in New Zealand
How do you become a doctor in New Zealand?
The journey to becoming a doctor has a lot of hoops. The difficult part is that some of those hoops change from year to year, especially university admission. This guide gives you the current big picture—from high school to medical school and your first years as a doctor—without pretending there is one magic set of school subjects or one guaranteed score.
Important: admission rules are set for a particular intake year. This article was reviewed in September 2026 and covers Auckland's published 2027 and 2028 entry rules and Otago's 2027 entry rules. Always check the official university pages before choosing subjects or submitting an application.
Step 1: Prepare in high school
You do not apply directly from high school into the University of Auckland MBChB or the second year of Otago's MB ChB. Instead, school results help you enter the first university programme from which you can compete for a medical place.
Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Statistics, and a writing-rich subject are all useful preparation. However, “useful” and “formally required” are not the same thing. Look at the current entry page for the first-year degree or Health Sciences First Year programme you intend to take, then check its required school subjects and rank score.
That distinction matters. A broad science background can make first year less shocking, but taking a particular subject does not reserve you a medical place. Strong study habits, written communication, problem solving and the ability to ask for help will matter just as much once university begins.
University of Auckland
For 2027 MBChB entry, school leavers first complete the eight required courses in either the Bachelor of Health Sciences or the BSc Biomedical Science pathway. They apply for medicine during that same full-time year.
For 2028 MBChB entry, Auckland has published a wider group of eligible first-year programmes: the Bachelor of Biomedical Science, two Bachelor of Health Sciences majors and six specified Bachelor of Science majors. The required first-year courses and selection process also change for that intake. This is exactly why old screenshots and someone else's first-year timetable are dangerous admission guides.
University of Otago
School leavers commonly enter Otago's Health Sciences First Year in Dunedin, then apply for admission to the second year of Medicine. Otago also has Graduate and Alternative entry categories with different eligibility rules.
Getting into HSFY is not the same as getting into Medicine. HSFY is a competitive pathway shared by students aiming for several health professional programmes.
Step 2: Complete the eligible first-year or graduate pathway
This is the famous high-pressure year. The healthiest way to approach it is not to search for a secret shortcut. Know the selection rules, start steadily, use the university's own teaching and support, practise retrieving what you learn, and protect enough sleep to keep your brain functional.
Auckland selection for 2027 entry
For 2027 first-year entry, students must complete the eight prescribed courses in the year of application. To be eligible for interview consideration, applicants need a minimum GPA of 6.0 across the seven graded required courses, no failed course, and a pass in the relevant zero-point Waipapa Taumata Rau course.
Eligible applicants are ranked for a Multiple Mini Interview. The published final selection weighting for 2027 is:
- 60% GPA across four core courses
- 25% Multiple Mini Interview
- 15% UCAT ANZ
The minimum makes you eligible; it does not guarantee an interview or offer. Medicine is limited-entry and applicants are ranked against one another.
Auckland selection for 2028 entry
Auckland has announced a different process for 2028. Eligible students will complete one of the newly listed first-year pathways and the specified core courses, with minimum course and GPA requirements. UCAT ANZ is replaced by the Casper situational judgement test, and the published final ranking is split between the MMI and Casper. Students applying for 2028 must follow the 2028 section of Auckland's official page rather than 2027 advice.
Otago HSFY selection for 2027
For the HSFY category, applicants must complete the seven required first-year papers in the year of application, pass them all, and achieve at least a 65% average across their best seven papers. They must also pass the HSFY English Diagnostic or ENGL 128 and meet that year's UCAT thresholds.
UCAT operates as an annual threshold in Otago's HSFY and Graduate categories; after applicants meet the eligibility requirements, final selection is based on academic ranking. Equity-group pathways and rules also apply, so read the category that matches your circumstances.
What happened to UMAT?
UMAT was replaced years ago. For Auckland and Otago's relevant 2027 categories, the current test is UCAT ANZ. Auckland has announced Casper instead for 2028 entry. If an article, tutor or forum tells you to prepare for UMAT, you are reading historical advice.
Step 3: Medical school
The University of Auckland MBChB is a six-year programme in total for a school-leaver following the first-year pathway. After the qualifying first year, students enter Part II and continue through the pre-clinical and clinical years.
At Otago, the MB ChB takes five years after admission from HSFY or another qualifying category—so the usual school-leaver route is also six university years including HSFY.
The early medical years build scientific and clinical foundations. Later years are increasingly based in hospitals, general practices and community settings. Placements can involve different cities and regions, and students need to pass each stage before progressing.
The final year is commonly called the Trainee Intern year. Students work within clinical teams under supervision and take on more responsibility while still completing the degree. Eligible domestic students may receive a trainee-intern grant, subject to the current government and university conditions.
Step 4: Apply for your first doctor role and registration
Graduation is a huge milestone, but it is not instant unrestricted medical practice. New Zealand and Australian graduates applying through the New Zealand pathway need an acceptable position with an accredited prevocational training provider, registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand and a practising certificate.
Many graduates apply for first-year House Officer positions through the ACE RMO process. Applicants rank participating employers and employers rank applicants before a matching process. A match is not something an article should promise: eligibility, applications, available positions and employer decisions all matter.
Once employed, new doctors practise within their approved scope and work under supervision through the prevocational training programme. General-scope registration is not simply an automatic reward for spending twelve months in a job.
Step 5: Decide what comes next
After the first postgraduate years, doctors can continue in hospital roles, train in general practice, apply to another vocational training programme, work in research or public health, or take other medical career paths.
Specialist training varies widely in length, entry requirements and competitiveness. “Registrar, then Consultant” is one common hospital pattern, but it is not the only route and it is not a fixed conveyor belt. Doctors continue learning, completing assessments and meeting professional requirements throughout their careers.
The links you should trust
- University of Auckland MBChB entry requirements
- University of Otago Medicine entry requirements
- Medical Council pathway for New Zealand and Australian graduates
- ACE RMO graduate recruitment
Read those pages for your own intake year. Medicine admission is one place where “my friend did this a few years ago” is not a safe source.
Many thanks to Rahul Anand, Euphemia Li, Kenrick Rosser and Stephen Wong for sharing their experiences for the original article.
By Maggie from MyTuition
Got a burning question or some thoughts to share? Send them to team@mytuition.nz.
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