720 points
Duration: Six years university study (twelve semesters)
Applications closing date: 1st November of the preceding year
Late or incomplete applications will
NOT be accepted.
Society today has many expectations of medical practitioners, whether they are
working in community settings, rural/ regional environments or in large city
hospitals. The educational experience of our trainee doctors has the core value
of improving the health of patients and communities and striving for equity of
outcomes and access for all patients. This requires the integration of three
platforms of learning. One is the generic knowledge, skills and attitudes that
are common to all health professionals, with particular emphasis on
communication and cultural skills, team work, empathy and medico-legal ethics.
Our programme also has a strong emphasis on the clinician as a scientist, which
requires understanding, generating and using evidence to inform practice from
basic science, clinical science, population health needs and Hauora Māori.
Lastly, there is the need to develop a range of specific professional skills.
Together, these three platforms are designed to ensure patients receive the
relevant treatments in a supportive environment from a sound clinical reasoning
approach. The University of Auckland provides a learning environment that
produces graduates with the knowledge, attitudes, awareness and skills to ensure
their competence to practice and an enthusiasm for future vocational education
in any field of medicine.
The programme
The MBChB is a six-year programme including Year 1 of the Bachelor of
Health Sciences or the Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science).
Years 2 and 3 follow the standard university semesters with two exceptions:
Year 2 begins with a compulsory orientation in the week before the commencement
of Semester 1. There is also a compulsory Māori Health Week during the week
immediately prior to the commencement of Semester 2.
During the early years of the MBChB, students study the basic medical
and health sciences while being introduced to professional and clinical aspects
of medical practice. Study in Years 2 and 3 is entirely based in Auckland.
From Year 4, students learn predominantly in hospital and community
environments, with rotating study in a number of disciplines for 35 to 42 weeks
of the year. The Faculty works closely with health-care providers to provide
these learning opportunities. To ensure these opportunities continue to be
available, the Faculty requires exemplary behaviour from all medical students
whilst in the clinical and community environment. Details of the policies,
professional standards and clinical requirements are set out in the Medical
Programme Policy Guide.
Students are required to complete at least one year of study outside the
area of the Auckland DHBs during Years 4, 5 and 6. In Year 4, students complete
attachments at teaching hospitals and general practices in the upper North
Island. In Year 5, students may apply to study on the year-long regional-rural
programme (Pūkawakawa) based in Whangarei and small surrounding rural
environments in Northland. For the urban programme, students are assigned to a
cohort and undertake study in a particular region for most of the year, although
a student may be required to spend time in another region for a specific
attachment. The cohorts are based at Mid-North Island, South Auckland or
Waitemata/ Auckland. In Year 6, students have the option of undertaking their
year of study at Rotorua, Waikato or the Auckland region, with opportunities to
study some disciplines in other regions for the Auckland cohort. While attempts
are made to minimise the impact of travel and finding accommodation, students
will incur some extra costs. If inadequate numbers choose to study in a
particular cohort, a binding ballot will occur.
There are opportunities to undertake study overseas in Years 5 and 6, and
they need to be planned well in advance. In Year 5, students complete a
four-week Selective. Students are encouraged to have experiences outside of the
main teaching hospitals and practices in New Zealand or to acquire learning from
overseas, except for the Pacific Islands. In Year 6, students complete an
eight-week Elective and there is strong encouragement to complete this overseas.
All six years must be passed in their entirety before students are
permitted to graduate with the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of
Surgery (MBChB).
A newly graduated doctor is granted provisional general scope registration
by the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ), and is employed to work in
approved positions under supervision (mostly in New Zealand hospitals) for a
minimum period of 12 months. After satisfactory completion of this period, the
doctor applies to the MCNZ for general scope registration. The MBChB programme
is accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC). This has the advantage of
reciprocation of work in Australian health care environments, as well as in New
Zealand.
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