Choosing Between Otago and Auckland
MMIEasyAnswer the question
Choosing Between Otago and Auckland
New Zealand has two medical schools — Otago and Auckland. Why did you choose to apply to this school specifically, and what do you know about how its programme differs from the other?
What differences between the two schools' entry pathways or clinical placements influenced your choice?
How does each school's curriculum approach clinical exposure in the early years?
If you were rejected from this school but accepted to the other, would you attend? Why or why not?
Speak it out loud and we'll type it for you (free), or type your own notes — then mark yourself below.
- Structure: why medicine → concrete evidence → honest reflection.
- Be specific about what medicine uniquely offers — avoid "I want to help people".
What strong answers doReveal the benchmark
Hidden so they don't bias your answer. Score yourself first, then reveal them to compare.
- Interviewers ask this to probe genuine research and commitment, not to catch you out. Generic answers ('I prefer Dunedin's campus atmosphere') are weak; specific answers ('Otago's early rural placement matches my interest in rural medicine') are strong.
- Know both routes: Otago school leavers enter through the competitive Health Sciences First Year (HSFY), with a graduate route alongside, and train across the Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington clinical schools; Auckland's main domestic route is First Year entry via the BHSc or BSc (Biomedical Science), with a smaller graduate category, selection by academic performance, an admissions test and Multiple Mini Interviews, and clinical training across Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and the Pūkawakawa programme in Northland.
- You are not expected to quote GPA cut-offs or admissions-test transition dates; an accurate broad grasp of the two entry pathways and where clinical years are spent is what earns credit.
Mark yourself
Score each skill against the rubric, then add a line of evidence. Scale:
Self-Awareness
0/3Demonstrates genuine school-specific research and authentic reasoning
Communication
0/3Answers directly without sycophancy or evasiveness
Reflection
0/3Engages honestly with the hypothetical rejection scenario
Insight
0/3Shows understanding of how programme structure shapes professional formation