New Zealand
New Zealand is known as the "land of the long white cloud". It is known for the All Blacks, Southern Alps and extreme sports. Its culture is as diverse as the two islands. For doctors wishing to work in New Zealand, it offers excellent training, innovative hospitals, research and lifestyle.
Medical Registration
There are two ways for junior overseas trained doctors to apply for registration in New Zealand. Both pathways require all junior doctors to have an offer of employment to commence the process. Consultants/Specialists can apply to have their post-graduate qualifications recognised by the Medical Council and appropriate College before a position is confirmed.
Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all facets of registrations once a position is confirmed.
House Officers
General scope for Australian graduates
Internships within New Zealand and Australia – Unregistered Australian graduates who have previously completed their internships in New Zealand or Australia will be immediately registered within a general scope, rather than a provisional general scope.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration application is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information please register.
General scope for UK and Irish graduates
To apply for registration in New Zealand, UK and Irish graduates require a Letter of Employment from a New Zealand hospital.
You are also required to hold a primary medical degree from a university medical school approved from the Medical Council of New Zealand approved qualifications and to be accredited by the General Medical Council (United Kingdom) or Irish Medical Council to obtain Provisional General Registration. You will be granted Provisional General Registration for one year. On completion of the year, if you satisfy all the requirements set out by the Medical Council of New Zealand you may be granted full General Registration.
Doctors working under Provisional General Registration are restricted to working for the hospital that provided employment. Doctors who have Provisional General Registration are not able to locum, however, you are able to apply for positions at other New Zealand hospitals as long as the Medical Council of New Zealand agrees to change your registration when a new position is confirmed.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration application is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information please register.
General scope for other nationality graduates
The comparable health system pathway is for overseas trained doctors who have:-
- Passed an approved medical registration exam (AMC MCQ, NZREX Clinical, PLAB 1 and USMLE 1 & 2 (CK)) within the last 5 years; and
- worked for at least three out of the last four years in a country which has a comparable health system to New Zealand will be eligible for registration within a provisional general scope of practice. Observerships, Clinical attachments and internships do not count towards to this time.
Graduates from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Canada where English is the primary language of instruction are NOT required to pass an approved English test. Graduates from other countries applying for registration, will be required to have achieved a minimum or 7 in each of the four components of the academic module with an overall band of 7.5 International English Language Testing System IELTS, within the last two years.
You will be granted Provisional General Registration until you have satisfied the requirements of the Medical Council. Doctors who have Provisional General Registration are not able to locum, however, you are able to apply for positions at other New Zealand hospitals as long as the Medical Council of New Zealand agrees to change your registration when a new position is confirmed
Registration applications through both pathways take approximately 20 working days – so long as all the information is provided.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration application is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information please register.
Consultants / Specialists
Vocational Scope
Consultants / Specialist are entitled to commence the registration process without an offer of employment through the Vocational Scope pathway. The Medical Council of New Zealand will assess the eligibility of doctors who have qualifications, training and experience.
Completed forms need to be sent to the Medical Council of New Zealand who then takes advice from the appropriate branch advisory body (BAB) responsible your particular vocational scope.
The BAB will carry out an initial paper assessment and this may be done whilst you are overseas. If you are considered to be suitable to proceed, you will be required to attend an interview with the BAB. You may be allowed to commence work pending the interview; but always under assessment in the first instance.
The BAB will advise Council on whether or not your training, qualifications and experience are equivalent to that of a New Zealand trained doctor in the same vocational scope. The BAB will also advise whether you are suitable for registration within a vocational scope via:
- the supervision pathway; or
- the assessment pathway.
Doctors who have been assessed by Council as eligible for registration within a provisional vocational scope must:
- arrange suitable employment, and
- attend a registration interview.
This process can take some time – up to six months if all the information is not provided in the first instance.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration application is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information please register.
Special Purpose Scope
The Special Purpose Scope is for doctors who wish to apply under one of the following categories:
- Teaching as a visiting expert
- Post-graduate training
- Research
- Locum Tenens in a specialist post (not longer than 6 months)
Some Consultants/Specialist apply for registration through the Locum Tenens option as a way to experience the New Zealand hospital system, before deciding if they wish to relocate to New Zealand on a permanent basis. Qualifications for registration within a special purpose scope of practice: Locum Tenens - specialist appointment
To qualify for registration within a special scope, applicants must:
- pass (or be exempt from) the IELTS English Test
- meet the requirements in Registration within a special purpose scope, and
- meet the requirements in the Registration Policy.
Please note - Registration within a Special Purpose Scope of practice under this policy is not a pathway to registration within a General Scope or in a Vocational Scope.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information, please register.
Work Visas
Visa applications are pretty straight forward. Both hospitals and candidates need to complete appropriate forms which are submitted to the High Commission in the country you reside. Once Medical Council approval has been granted, this document needs to be submitted with your application for a work visa. It takes approximately four weeks to finalise a work visa once all documentation is provided to the New Zealand High Commission.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your work visa application is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information, please register.
New Zealand Hospitals
The main tertiary hospitals are in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The regional hospitals also provide ongoing training and opportunities to continue study through the Universities or Colleges. The absence of Registrars in most of the smaller regional hospitals allows for close contact between Consultants and House Officers. This may mean higher exposure to a broader range of medical cases and opportunities for more responsibility and teaching.
In New Zealand the House Officer year commences in November, whilst the Registrar year commences in December. Positions can become available all year and hospitals will consider any appropriately qualified doctor.
The New Zealand hospital and training systems are modeled on those from the UK and also those from the US. They are innovative and are leaders when it comes to research. Hospitals are very well equipped with modern equipment, technology and facilities. This includes direct phone, email and computer links from regional hospitals to the tertiary hospitals.
Hospital staff are known for being friendly, personal and very professional creating an informal and friendly environment. Consultants are approachable and want to guide junior doctors along in their career, especially those in the smaller regional hospitals where Registrars are not employed.
Salaries for junior doctors can vary between tertiary hospitals and regional hospitals, with higher rates of pay are given to regional hospitals. Salaries are based on the category run (i.e. obstetrics, relief, medicine), the number of hours you will be working per week and the number of postgraduate years you have worked.
Below is a quick indication on what doctors may earn as a base salary (as at October 2008):-
- House Officer (Year 1) – 40-65+ hours - $51,000 - $98,000
- House Officer (Year 2) – 40-65+ hours - $56,000 - $106,000
- Senior House Officer (Year 3) – 40-65+ hours - $59,000 - $112,000
- Senior House Officer (Year 4) – 40-65+ hours – $62,000 - $119,000
- Registrar (Year 1) – 40-65+ hours - $59,000 - $112,000
- Registrar (Year 2) – 40-65+ hours - $62,000 - $119,000
- Registrar (Year 3) – 40-65+ hours - $65,000 - $125,000
- Registrar (Year 4) – 40-65+ hours - $68,000 - $131,000
- Registrar (Year 5) – 40-65+ hours - $71,000 - $137,000
- Registrar (Year 6) – 40-65+ hours - $75,000 - $143,000
- Registrar (Year 7) – 40-65+ hours - $78,000 - $149,000
- Registrar (Year 8) – 40-65+ hours - $81,000 - $155,000
- Registrar (Year 9) – 40-65+ hours - $84,000 - $162,000
- Registrar (Year 10) – 40-65+ hours - $88,000 - $168,000
Consultant / Specialist salaries also vary according to experience, specialty, hospital and hours worked. Based on 38-40 hours per week, public hospital employees can earn between $120,000 - $250,000 per annum. On-call, Continued Medical Education, Registration and Medical Indemnity are generally paid on top.
New Zealand has been described by doctors as having a great lifestyle to work ratio.
For more information, please register
Lifestyle Activities
New Zealand is known for its extreme sports, ski fields, natural waterways, bushland, glaciers and wildlife. It also has some of the best wineries in the world. Culturally, it has some interesting art exhibitions. Physical activities and culture are covered here!
Whether you are based in the North Island or South Island, you will have the opportunities to pursue your interests but also to try something new. Below are some links for you to explore and to plan activities for your stay:-
For more information, please register now.
Specialist recruiters of doctors for Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand Tollfree: 0800 633 000
Australian Tollfree: 1800 070 339
Phone: +64 3 328 9979
Fax: +64 3 328 9985
