Skip to main content
NextGen MedPrep logoNextGenMedPrep

Graduate Entry Medicine in New Zealand

New Zealand has no four-year graduate-entry MBChB and no GAMSAT. Instead, graduates apply into the same six-year MBChB through dedicated graduate categories at the University of Otago and the University of Auckland. This page covers every NZ graduate route — Otago's Graduate and Alternative Categories and Auckland's graduate entry — the test you need (UCAT-ANZ, or none), the GPA and prerequisite-paper requirements, the interview where applicable, and how to choose between them.

Browse graduate routes
3
Graduate routes
6 yrs
MBChB length
No
GAMSAT in NZ
2
Medical schools

Graduate entry to medicine in New Zealand

Unlike the UK or Australia, New Zealand does not run a separate accelerated four-year graduate-entry medical degree. Both NZ medical schools — the University of Auckland and the University of Otago — award the same six-year MBChB to school leavers and graduates alike. There is also no GAMSAT.

What graduates get instead are dedicated graduate selection categories. At Otago that means the Graduate Category (for recent NZ graduates with the right prerequisite papers) and the Alternative Category (for experienced allied health professionals). At Auckland it means a graduate-entry pathway for applicants with a completed degree and equivalent gateway papers. Graduate applicants are ranked within their own pools rather than against first-year (HSFY / BHSc) students.

The trade-off versus the school-leaver routes: as a graduate you skip the Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) or Auckland First Year gateway, but you must already hold the equivalent prerequisite papers and meet a competitive GPA / academic ranking — and, for most routes, a competitive UCAT-ANZ. For the full school-leaver pathway, see our how to get into medical school in NZ guide.

Admissions tests for NZ graduate entry

There is no GAMSAT in New Zealand. The only admissions test in play is UCAT-ANZ, and whether you need it depends on the route. Plan your test strategy before applying.

UCAT-ANZ required

Otago Graduate Category and Auckland graduate entry both require UCAT-ANZ for 2027 entry. The same exam as for school leavers: four subtests (Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Situational Judgement), registered around March and sat once in July.

No test required

The Otago Alternative Category does not require UCAT-ANZ. Selection there is built around allied-health experience and an interview rather than a psychometric test.

How UCAT-ANZ is used

Otago uses UCAT-ANZ as a threshold gate only (VR ≥20th percentile and SJT >10th percentile) — it does not change your academic rank. Auckland weights UCAT-ANZ at 15% of the final selection ranking. See our UCAT-ANZ guide.

From 2028 (Auckland only)

Auckland plans to replace UCAT-ANZ with CASPer (a situational-judgement test) from 2028 entry. This affects graduate and first-year applicants alike — monitor FMHS announcements directly.

NZ graduate routes into medicine (2027 entry)

3 graduate routes lead into the MBChB across the two NZ medical schools. Each has its own eligibility, test requirement and selection method.

No four-year accelerated MBChB in NZ. If you are a school leaver or have not completed an eligible degree, the standard route is the first-year gateway (Otago HSFY or Auckland BHSc / BSc Biomed). Compare both schools at /nz/medical-schools, or read the full pathway in our how to get into medical school in NZ guide.

Fees and funding for NZ graduate entry

Same degree, same fees: because graduate applicants enter the standard six-year MBChB, domestic tuition is the same as for school-leaver entrants — approximately NZD 18,000–20,000 per clinical year, depending on the university and year. There is no separate accelerated-degree fee structure as you might see with UK graduate medicine.

Student loans and allowances: domestic students typically fund tuition through StudyLink (student loan) and may be eligible for a means-tested Student Allowance. Both run through New Zealand's public student support system rather than any health-service bursary.

Workforce and rural support: the New Zealand health system (Te Whatu Ora / Health New Zealand) and various regional and Māori health initiatives offer scholarships and bonded placements that can reduce costs in exchange for a service commitment — worth investigating, especially for rural and Māori or Pacific applicants.

International graduate applicants pay international MBChB fees, which are substantially higher and not covered by domestic loans or allowances. Confirm current figures directly with each university.

NZ graduate entry application timeline

  1. Before you apply: Confirm your degree includes papers equivalent to the prescribed first-year prescription (Otago Graduate Category / Auckland graduate entry), or that your allied-health experience meets the Otago Alternative Category threshold.
  2. March: UCAT-ANZ registration typically opens (required for the Otago Graduate Category and Auckland graduate entry; not required for the Otago Alternative Category). Register early — test centres fill quickly.
  3. 1 April – 1 May: Otago Alternative Category application window (separate from the HSFY / Graduate cycle).
  4. July: UCAT-ANZ test window — a single sitting with four subtests (VR, DM, QR, SJT).
  5. 1 July – ~13 August: Otago MBChB applications (including the Graduate Category) open and close. Apply through the University of Otago admissions system; Auckland follows its own schedule.
  6. September–October: Auckland Kira Talent online MMI invitations issued; Otago Alternative Category Zoom interviews held. Otago Graduate Category has no interview.
  7. December: Offer notifications from both universities (Otago outcomes advised by approximately 18 December).

Frequently asked questions

Yes, but not as a separate accelerated degree. New Zealand has no four-year graduate-entry MBChB. Instead, graduates apply into the same six-year MBChB as school leavers, through dedicated graduate selection categories: the University of Otago Graduate Category and Alternative Category, and the University of Auckland graduate-entry pathway. Graduate applicants are ranked in their own pools rather than against first-year (HSFY / BHSc) students.

No. There is no GAMSAT in New Zealand. Graduate routes into medicine use UCAT-ANZ (where required), your degree GPA/academic ranking, prerequisite paper equivalence and — for some routes — an interview. The GAMSAT is used in Australia and Ireland, not for NZ medical admissions.

The Otago Graduate Category is for applicants who have completed a relevant first degree at a New Zealand university within the three years prior to application, including papers equivalent to the Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) prescription. UCAT-ANZ is required as a threshold gate (Verbal Reasoning at or above the 20th percentile and SJT above the 10th percentile). Selection is by academic ranking of your degree results — there is no interview.

The Otago Alternative Category is for experienced allied health professionals — typically applicants with five or more years of clinical experience, ideally at least two years in Aotearoa New Zealand. Applications open 1 April and close 1 May each year, separate from the HSFY window. Shortlisted applicants attend an approximately 40-minute Zoom videoconference interview. UCAT-ANZ is not required for this category.

Auckland accepts graduates of a recognised university whose final year was no more than five years prior to application, provided the degree includes courses equivalent to the core FMHS gateway papers. A minimum GPA of 6.0 (B+) is required. UCAT-ANZ is required for domestic applicants for 2027 entry, and graduate applicants complete the same Kira Talent online MMI as first-year applicants. From 2028 entry Auckland plans to replace UCAT-ANZ with CASPer.

It depends on the route. The Otago Graduate Category and Auckland graduate entry both require UCAT-ANZ (for 2027 entry). The Otago Alternative Category does not require UCAT-ANZ. There is no separate graduate version of the test — it is the same UCAT-ANZ sat once in July, with four subtests: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement.

Not on its own. Both the Otago Graduate Category and Auckland graduate entry require your degree to include papers equivalent to the prescribed first-year science prescription (biochemistry, chemistry, human biology, population health and related courses). A degree without those equivalent papers will not meet the prerequisite requirement, even if your GPA is high. The Otago Alternative Category is different — it is built around allied-health experience rather than a science-paper prescription.

Very. New Zealand has only two medical schools (Auckland and Otago), each admitting roughly 317 domestic students per year, and graduate places are a small share of that. Graduate applicants are ranked within their own category, so you compete against other graduates rather than the whole first-year cohort, but the bar — strong GPA, prerequisite equivalence and (where required) a competitive UCAT-ANZ — is high.

Build a competitive graduate application

UCAT-ANZ prep, Auckland Kira Talent MMI coaching, Otago Alternative Category interview practice and application review — tailored for NZ graduate medicine applicants.

Free consultation Graduate Entry Dentistry
Reviewed by Isaac Butler-King, medical student at the University of Glasgow. Last reviewed: 1 July 2026