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Step-by-step: entry requirements, admission-test prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.
Open the guide →Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.
Read the guide →The University of Otago MBChB is a 6-year degree based at the Otago Medical School in Dunedin. Year 1 is completed through Health Sciences First Year (HSFY); clinical years 4–6 are split across the Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington campuses. Selection for HSFY and Graduate applicants is academic ranking only — no interview.
The programme is the largest medical school in New Zealand by total domestic intake.
Otago MBChB is the most academically competitive medical selection process in New Zealand — HSFY and Graduate pathways have no interview; offers are determined solely by academic rank score. Branch campus split for clinical years 4–6: students are assigned (not self-selected) to Dunedin, Christchurch, or Wellington campuses.
UCAT ANZ is a threshold gate only (Verbal Reasoning ≥20th percentile AND SJT >10th percentile); once met, UCAT plays no further role in ranking. Alternative Category has a different application window (1 April – 1 May) and does involve an interview.
Integrated curriculum. 6-year MBChB. Year 1 (HSFY): 7 compulsory papers at Dunedin (BIOC 192, CELS 191, CHEM 191, HUBS 191, HUBS 192, PHSI 191, POPH 192). Years 2–3: pre-clinical at Dunedin. Years 4–6 (Advanced Learning in Medicine): class divided into thirds across Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington campuses — campus assignment is determined by the university.
HSFY application window: 1 July – 13 August; Alternative Category: 1 April – 1 May.
University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB) is strong in these research areas:
Format: No interview for the HSFY and Graduate categories — selection on weighted academic score plus UCAT thresholds
Otago medicine selects HSFY and Graduate applicants on weighted academic score with UCAT thresholds — there is no interview for these main categories. Only the small Alternative category uses a two-stage process that can include an interview.
317 domestic places per year (including Rural, Maori, Pacific, and Socioeconomic Equity sub-allocations); up to 30 international places; total up to ~347.
Founded in 1875. Based in Dunedin.
Programmes offered:
Working towards the UCAT score University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB) expects? Build a week-by-week plan from your test date — free for the first two weeks.
Otago MBChB is one of the few medical schools in the world where the main pathway is entirely non-interview — academic performance in HSFY papers is essentially everything. Focus on achieving consistently high marks across all 7 papers; the competitive range for General pathway offers in 2026 was approximately 93–99 (0–100 scale). UCAT ANZ is a threshold gate — aim to clear the Verbal Reasoning ≥20th percentile and SJT >10th percentile thresholds comfortably, but remember it does not boost your ranking once met. Rural sub-pathway offers typically accepted from 89–98. The branch campus split (Dunedin / Christchurch / Wellington) for Years 4–6 is determined by the university, not by preference — consider all three locations as viable when applying.
Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
The University of Auckland's MAPAS (Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme) asks applicants to articulate their connection to community and how it drives their motivation for medicine. How would you describe your own motivation, and why is community connection valued in a doctor?
Likely follow-up · What does whakapapa mean as a concept, and how might it shape a doctor's understanding of a patient's health story?
In 2022 the New Zealand government replaced 20 district health boards with a single national health agency, Te Whatu Ora. What were the reasons given for this change, and what are the potential risks and benefits for health equity — particularly for Māori and Pacific communities?
Likely follow-up · Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, was established alongside Te Whatu Ora but was later disestablished. What does this tell you about the political complexity of health system reform?
We've helped students into University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB) and other New Zealand medicine schools — get tailored support for each stage of the application.
Hit the UCAT cut-off for University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB) with one-to-one tutoring from top scorers.
Learn morePractise the No interview format with students who interviewed at University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB).
Learn moreGet your personal statement reviewed by successful applicants.
Learn moreCompiled from University of Otago's published admissions material and checked for internal consistency. Not independently re-checked against the official course page for 2027 entry — confirm the figures with the school before you rely on them.
We've helped students turn their UCAT, personal statement and interview prep into offers from University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB) and other New Zealand medicine schools.
