The Medical Council of New Zealand has set requirements for doctors wishing to enter New Zealand to:

• teach
• train
• carry out research
• work as a locum tenens as a specialist, or
• assist in an emergency or other unpredictable, short-term purpose.

This policy must be read with reference to Council’s Policy on registration in New Zealand and the definitions and guidelines for a Council approved postgraduate training programme with a structured supervision plan (see Appendix 1).

To qualify for registration within a special purpose scope of practice the applicant must:

• hold a acceptable primary medical degree from a university medical school listed in the Avicenna directory (formerly WHO directory) of medical schools 
• satisfy all criteria for one of the following special purposes:

The applicant must have been invited by an institution approved by the Council, which has specified the nature of any patient contact.

Postgraduate training

English: Applicant must satisfy Council's requirements for English testing or exemption.

Registration: The doctor must have medical registration in his or her own country (or the country providing sponsorship), to which he or she will return on completion of the training.

The applicant either:

1. is sponsored by or on behalf of a country or organisation to which the doctor will return after the proposed period of training; or
2. has a formal postgraduate qualification accepted by Council as indicating competence in the branch to which the doctor will confine his or her practice while in New Zealand; or
3. is enrolled in a formal training programme in his or her own country; or
4. has worked for at least 12 months in an institution with which a  New Zealand hospital or medical school has an exchange programme.

Guaranteed employment: The applicant must have a guarantee of continuing employment in his or her home country at the completion of the period of training in New Zealand.

Training: The trainee doctor must provide evidence that they are entering into a training programme in New Zealand with a structured supervision plan (see Appendix 1).

Details must be provided on the training objectives and delivery, and on how the training will be monitored and outcomes measured.

Within a District Health Board (DHB), the application must be approved by the Chief Medical Adviser of the DHB (or their delegate) confirming that the position is part of a training programme of that DHB.

Within an organisation other than a DHB, high level sign-off is required from an appropriate person or organisation at the discretion of the Registration Manager.

Responsibility: The proposed supervisor must provide details of the level of responsibility to be delegated to the trainee.

Induction and supervision: The proposed supervisor must provide an induction and supervision plan including details of orientation to the New Zealand health system.

Progress towards learning objectives (delivery and outcome) and comments about supervised practice are to be provided to Council for each three-month period.

Funding: Confirmation must be provided from the employer that the training will not be funded by the Clinical Training Agency.

Night cover

There will be some preliminary requirements the employer must satisfy before the doctor is permitted to provide night cover as defined in the Policy for doctors in New Zealand for postgraduate training in relation to working at nights.

Limit of trainees at any one centre

At any one centre, trainees will make up no more than one out of three doctors on the same service at any one time.  (For example, out of a total of six medical registrars, no more than two will be trainees).

Period of registration

Registration within the special purpose scope of practice postgraduate training pathway is limited to two years.  Time registered within a special purpose scope of practice will not be counted towards gaining registration within a provisional general or general scope of practice in New Zealand. Doctors who have been registered in this pathway must pass NZREX (including its pre-requisites) if they wish to continue practising in New Zealand. Registration will not be extended to enable them to do this.

Research

The research project must have the approval of a formally constituted ethics committee in New Zealand, and patients’ informed consent must be received if patient treatment is involved.

Locum tenens in
a specialist post

English: Applicant must satisfy Council's requirements for English testing or exemption.

Qualification: Have an acceptable postgraduate qualification in the branch of medicine in which the doctor wishes to work.

Experience: Have been in active clinical practice (20 hours per week) relevant to the branch of medicine registration is applied for, for at least 24 out of the past 36 months.

Position: Be appointed to a supervised post not able to be filled by a New Zealand resident doctor. 

The applicant may work in a specialist post for a maximum period of six months. If the doctor intends to practise in New Zealand beyond six months he or she must apply for registration via the vocational scope of practice pathway.

The applicant must have qualifications appropriate to the requirements of the emergency or other unpredictable situation, and as determined by Council.

Conditions on registration within a special purpose scope of practice

When working within a special purpose scope of practice the doctor must work:

• in a New Zealand hospital, general practice, educational institution or other organisation approved by the Council,
• under the supervision of a registered doctor approved by the Council,
• for the duration of the teaching, training, research, emergency, or locum tenens.
• within a Council recognised scholarship or fellowship programme.

No clinical work may be undertaken other than that approved by Council.

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 of practice.