Coronavirus (COVD-19) information

Alerts

The next Medical Council of New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX) is to be held on 21 March 2020 in Auckland.

Following the outbreak of coronavirus, the Medical Council has decided to put extra protections in place to ensure the health and wellbeing of all people we work with. This is because the NZREX brings people together from all over the world and this presents a potential risk to people following the outbreak of the coronavirus.

What are we doing?

In the next two weeks, all candidates allocated to the 21 March 2020 NZREX will be contacted to determine if they have been potentially exposed to the coronavirus. The Medical Council will also be contacting staff, examiners, and actors. The Medical Council will ask the following questions:

  1. Have you visited mainland China in the last 14 days?
  2. Have you been in contact with or live with anyone who has visited mainland China in the last 14 days?
  3. Have you been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with coronavirus?

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, the Medical Council will assess the risk and advise on the next steps. Please note, the wearing of a face mask in the examination will not be permitted for the following reasons:

  • If a candidate is wearing a facemask it will be difficult to hear they are saying when assessing communication skills, taking a history, undertaking a differential diagnosis, or advising a management plan etc.
  • If an actor is wearing a facemask it will impact the ability to understand key points of information critical information required by the candidates and the examiners.
  • If an examiner is wearing a facemask it will be difficult for a candidate to hear key information critical to the examination.

What if I want to withdraw?

For candidates who wish to withdraw from the March NZREX examination, the standard withdrawal procedure and fees will apply.

We will keep you updated

The Medical Council will continue to monitor the situation as it develops and be guided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) who is working closely to provide advice to countries on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of the outbreak. The Medical Council will provide further information regarding future examinations as more information becomes available.

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