It’s a well-known fact that becoming a doctor takes a lot of time and energy. But exactly how much is needed when you want to study to become a doctor in New Zealand?
I won’t lie: it takes a lot of time to finish medical studies. In the end, however, you’ll be left with a world-class education and more than adequately prepared to work in the medical field.
Being a medical doctor is a noble (and well-paying) career path that is well worth the effort for those who have the passion.
Let’s explore all the educational steps required when you go through the medical school pipeline in New Zealand.
Key Takeaways
- Becoming a doctor in New Zealand takes between 12 and 17 years of study and training, starting from secondary school through to postgraduate specialisation.
- Your subject choices in high school (especially Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and English) are critical for setting yourself up for success in medical school applications.
- Medical school consists of a demanding 6-year program, followed by several more years of postgraduate clinical training before you can specialise.
- While the journey is long and expensive (costing around $190,000+), it leads to a highly respected, well-paid career with strong work-life balance opportunities in New Zealand.
Begin Biology Studies in Secondary School
While not strictly required, if you know you want to enter the medical profession, it can help to begin learning the basics as early as possible. It helps you have a more compelling application to University and gives you an academic advantage since you won’t be starting from scratch in medical school.
Regardless, you will need to meet a certain threshold of credits in the NCEA system. Students who go through the New Zealand schooling system will need to complete 14 credits in 3 different approved NCEA level 3 subjects.
University of Auckland Pathway
If you intend to attend the University of Auckland, it’s recommended to take biology and chemistry in Year 13 for any of these undergraduate programmes:
- Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) / Bachelor of Laws Conjoint
- Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of Health Sciences
- Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours)
- Bachelor of Medical Imaging (Honours)
- Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
- Bachelor of Nursing
- Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)
- Bachelor of Optometry
- Bachelor of Pharmacy
- Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of Sport, Health and Physical Education
It’s also recommended to take an English-rich subject like English, geography, classics, or history, depending on the subject you are pursuing.
University of Otago Pathway
For Otago’s programmes, it’s recommended to take physics and chemistry in Year 13.
Otago has two distinct branches of medical study: Health & Biomedical Sciences, and Healthcare & Medicine.
Health & Biomedical Sciences is the pathway you’ll choose if you want to be a doctor in the medical field who does not treat patients face-to-face; it’s more lab and research-based careers.
Healthcare & Medicine is the pathway you’ll choose if you want to be a doctor like a GP, dentist, pharmacist, psychotherapist, etc. This is the type of doctor we are talking about in this article.
Otago offers these programmes in this area:
- Community Healthcare
- Dental Technology
- Dentistry
- Health Sciences First Year (HSFY)
- Māori Health
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Medicine and Surgery
- Nutrition Communication
- Oral Health
- Pacific and Global Health
- Pharmacy
- Physical Activity and Health
- Physiotherapy
- Public Health
- Radiation Therapy
The University of Otago also has a first-year programme called the Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) programme which is required for students pursuing dentistry, medical laboratory science, medicine, pharmacy, and physiotherapy.
~10–15% of HSFY students are accepted into second-year medicine.
University of Otago: ~280 MBChB spots annually.
University of Auckland: ~270 MBChB spots annually.
Choosing the Right Subjects in High School
Becoming a doctor in New Zealand begins before you go to university. While you're still in High School, even though schools like the University of Auckland and the University of Otago don't have specific subject requirements.
Your subject choices in Years 12 and 13 can impact your chances of getting in and, more importantly, how you'll manage once you do.
NCEA Subject Recommendations
Medical school applicants in New Zealand typically go through NCEA Level 3 in Year 13. To be competitive, you’ll want to take:
- Biology – Essential for understanding human systems and health.
- Chemistry – Required or highly recommended for Health Science programmes.
- Physics – Beneficial for developing logical thinking and understanding physiology.
- Mathematics – Especially useful if you're considering research or pharmacology.
- An English-rich subject (like English, classics, history, or geography) – Helps build communication and critical thinking skills, which are key in clinical settings.
You'll need at least 14 credits in three approved Level 3 subjects. This is in line with NZQA university entrance standards. High-achieving students will likely aim for Merit or Excellence endorsements to stand out.
Strategic Planning
Aspiring doctors can fall into the trap of loading up on science subjects while still at school. Still, a balanced curriculum can help a lot.
Medical schools will look for well-rounded individuals with academic excellence, resilience, and interpersonal skills.
Talking about your subject choices with a career advisor at your school is a good idea.
Obtain Your Bachelor's Degree in Medical School
Once you’ve completed your Year 13 studies, and gotten the NCEA scores you need, you can apply for and attend your first year of medical school.
As discussed, the only two medical schools in New Zealand are the University of Auckland and the University of Otago.
| Stage | Duration | Details |
|---|---|---|
| High School (NCEA Level 3) | Years 12–13 | Take Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English-rich subjects |
| Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) | 1 year | Competitive foundation year at Otago or Auckland |
| MBChB Degree (Medical School) | 6 years | Preclinical + Clinical rotations, Trainee Intern year |
| House Officer (PGY1 + PGY2) | 2 years | Supervised hospital work; provisional then full registration |
| Registrar (Specialty Training) | 3–6 years | Training in chosen specialty, exams, on-the-job learning |
| Consultant/Specialist | Ongoing | Fully qualified doctor practicing independently |
How Long Does a Bachelor’s Degree Take?
A bachelor’s degree in the medical field in New Zealand takes on average 6 years.
The process of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in medicine can be broken down into four phases: The first year, years two and three, years four and five, and year six.
Health Sciences First Year (HSFY): What to Expect
In the first year, you are essentially proving that you can enter into medical school proper, which starts in the second year.
The Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) is a gateway into medical school. It is a one-year programme that the University of Otago and the University of Auckland offer (though the name and structure vary slightly).
It plays an essential role in determining who gets into the medicine programme.
per academic year.
What is HSFY?
This is a competitive foundation year to ensure students can handle the academic and emotional rigour of studying medicine.
It combines core science courses with healthcare-specific subjects.
At Otago, for example, HSFY covers:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Population Health
- Cells to Systems (Human Biology)
- Professional and Community Skills
At the University of Auckland, this is the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Part I) or Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Part I), which lead into the MBChB (Medicine) programme.
Medical School Life: Years 2 to 6
Once you've cleared the hurdle of Health Sciences First Year, you will officially be on the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) programme.
Typically, this is where real medical education begins. Each of the five years builds in intensity, complexity, and clinical exposure.
Years 2 and 3: Preclinical Foundations
In years two and three, you will be learning all about biology, physiology, and anatomy, and begin learning about diseases and illnesses. It’s mostly lectures, tutorials, and labs, with some time interviewing patients (both real and actors).
These are the heavy science years. You’ll dive deep into:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Medical Ethics
- Māori and Pacific Health
Years 4 and 5: Clinical Rotations
This is when you shift from the lecture hall to the hospital. You’ll start rotating through major clinical specialties such as:
- Internal Medicine
- Surgery
- General Practice
- Psychiatry
- Paediatrics
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Emergency Medicine
In these years, you’ll be placed at a real hospital to learn as a medical intern. You’ll learn through rotating modules and lectures and have practical and written exams at the end of your fifth year.
Otago students will be placed at either Wellington, Christchurch or Dunedin. Auckland students will be placed at either Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, South Auckland or Waitemata.
Year 6: The Trainee Intern Year
This is the year you get to try your hand at being a real doctor, at the hospital you were placed in. You’ll be supervised, of course, but you also get to start doing all the same work House Officers do (albeit at a much smaller capacity). You’ll continue to rotate between specialties and attend classes outside of the hospital as well.
An added bonus? You’ll be paid! It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing!
In your final year, you become a trainee intern. Essentially a junior member of a clinical team, you’ll:
- Work full-time in hospitals
- Rotate between departments
- Attend practical workshops
- Sit final exams
- Start getting paid! (A modest stipend, but still!)
You must have a bachelor’s degree in the medical field to enrol in the next stage of medical school: House Officer.
Postgraduate Training: House Officer to Registrar
Once you graduate from your MBChB, you're not finished. To become a fully licensed and independent doctor in New Zealand, you must complete postgraduate clinical training.
You'll first start as a House Officer before progressing to Registrar.
PGY1 and PGY2
The first two years after graduation are known as Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY1) and Postgraduate Year 2 (PGY2). During this time, you’ll hold the title of House Officer, working full-time in a hospital under supervision.
Key features of this stage:
- You can use the ACE match system to request to be placed in a preferred District Health Board (DHB).
- You're provisionally registered in Year 1 (PGY1) and become fully registered after completing it.
- Your duties include writing notes, ordering tests, reviewing lab results, and reporting to senior doctors.
- You'll rotate through general medicine, surgery, and emergency medicine departments.
Become a House Officer
Halfway through your sixth year in medical school, you’ll apply to become a House Officer through the ACE system, where you will be paired up with a District Health Board and selected for employment at a hospital.
If you have a preference of where to work, you can choose which DHBs you apply to.
As a House Officer, you will work for one year with a provisional registration as the junior-most doctor. You will have a lot more interaction with patients, but your work will mostly consist of admin duties, like filling out blood tests, writing notes and reporting back to the more senior doctors in your team (the Registrars and Consultants). You’ll continue to rotate through different clinics so you can make an informed decision about your specialty later on.
After your first year, you can apply for a general registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ).
Typically, House Officers will then work for one more year before declaring a specialty and shifting to work only in that area of focus.
If you want to work as a GP, you can do a third unspecialised year instead.
What Comes Next: Registrar Training
Depending on your chosen path, specialty training can take 3 to 6 years. During this time, you'll:
- Take on more responsibility in your department.
- Begin focused training in your chosen specialty (e.g. cardiology, general practice, orthopaedics).
- Sit formal exams and assessments from the relevant medical college (like the Royal Australasian College of Physicians).
Congratulations, you have become an official doctor!
So, how many years did it take to become a doctor?
to become a doctor.
While the amount of time and energy it takes to complete medical school can seem overwhelmingly daunting, remember that you will be living every step of the way.
Even though there will be many late nights and long weeks along the way, there will also be a lot of time to live your life outside of your studies and work, meaning you don’t have to put the other aspects of your life on pause to complete med school.
This is one of the great things about the work-life balance culture of New Zealand.
New Zealand medical degrees (MBChB) are recognised in Australia, the UK, Canada, and parts of the US.
Additional exams like PLAB (UK) or AMC (Australia) may be required.
Global demand for NZ-trained doctors is high!
Specialising: How to Choose Your Path
Once you’ve completed your PGY2 year, you can apply to a vocational training programme run by a relevant specialist college. Some examples include:
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) – for surgery
- Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) – for GPs
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) – for psychiatry
- Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) – for emergency medicine
Costs of Becoming a Doctor: Is It Worth It?
Becoming a doctor has high earning potential, but before you can get there, you have to factor in how much it will cost you in terms of time and money.
- First-year (HSFY or equivalent) tuition: $7,000 – $9,000
- MBChB Years 2–6 tuition: $16,000 – $18,000 per year
- Total tuition (6 years): ~$90,000 – $100,000+
- Living expenses (6 years): $100,000+ (at ~$17k/year)
- Total estimated cost: $190,000+
Student Loans and Support
Most domestic students in New Zealand fund their studies through Studylink student loans. These cover:
- Tuition fees
- Course-related costs
- Weekly living costs (up to a capped amount)
Repayment begins once you're earning above a certain income threshold. Fortunately, NZ student loans are interest-free while you’re living in New Zealand.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
