New Zealand and Australian graduates
This pathway is for New Zealand and Australian medical graduates wanting to register within the Provisional General scope of practice to complete their internship.
Basic prerequisites
You can apply for this pathway to registration if:
- you hold an approved primary medical qualification from New Zealand or Australia, and
- you meet our "fitness to practise" requirements including our Policy on English language requirements.
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To apply for registration as a medical practitioner in New Zealand, or to sit the New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX Clinical), you must have a recognised primary medical qualification from a university medical school listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools.
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Any doctor applying for registration in New Zealand must be fit for registration and fit to practise medicine. It's a legal requirement on us to ensure they are. We determine this as part of our assessment of your application for registration.
New Zealand graduates applying for provisional general
To apply, you need a confirmed job offer from an accredited training provider to work in clinical attachments for postgraduate year 1 (PGY1). Your application must be made online using your my MCNZ account.
If you want to start in quarter 1 (November) following Year 6, your university will have provided information about how to apply online. If you are applying after a break between graduating and obtaining an intern position (also known as ‘first year house officer’), please contact graduates@mcnz.org.nz
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It is the Council’s role to monitor and promote medical education and training in New Zealand. To ensure that its standards are met for medical education and training, the Council accredits training and recertification providers.
Australian graduates applying for provisional general
To apply, you need a confirmed job offer from an accredited training provider to work in clinical attachments for PGY1. After completing an REG2B application form and submitting evidence that you hold an acceptable primary medical degree, you can submit your application to the Council.
You must also provide an original letter from the Dean of Medical School confirming your good standing.
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Application for registration: Australian graduates (Interns/PGY1)
Working under supervision and variations
When your registration is confirmed and your practising certificate issued, you can start working towards completing our two-year prevocational training programme. Your practising certificate includes an endorsement requiring you to work as an intern in accredited clinical attachments under the supervision of a Prevocational Educational Supervisor.
If you want to change to a different accredited training provider during PGY1, you need to apply for a variation to your scope of practice.
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You cannot work outside the requirements of your scope of practice and any requirements set by Council specific to you. These are shown on your practising certificate. If you are registered within a provisional general, provisional vocational or a special purpose scope of practice, you need our approval of any change to your employment, supervision, position or location.
Once we've received and approved your variation application we will issue you a new practising certificate.
Progression to general scope and PGY2
Progression to postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) and registration within the General scope of practice is not automatic. You are able to apply after you
- satisfactorily complete four accredited clinical attachments
- complete of a minimum of 10 weeks full-time equivalent in each attachment. Full time is equivalent to a minimum of 40 hours per week
- substantively attain the learning outcomes outlined in the NZCF (prior learning is taken into account)
- hold an advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) certification at New Zealand Resuscitation Council’s CORE Advanced level, which is less than 12 months old
- be recommended for registration in the General scope of practice by a Council-approved advisory panel
You are also required to submit an acceptable professional development plan (PDP) for PGY2. Your plan will be reviewed by the advisory panel, and then endorsed if the panel recommends registration within the General scope of practice.
PGY2 requirements
After we register you within the General scope, we will issue you a practising certificate that includes an endorsement recording you are required to work towards meeting PGY2 requirements including:
- completing four Council-accredited clinical attachments
- continuing to work towards achieving your PDP goals
At the end of PGY2, you can apply to have the endorsement removed. If your prevocational educational supervisor is satisfied you have met your training requirements, they will recommend the endorsement is removed.
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PGY2-OSER - Application for removal of PGY2 endorsement after completing PGY2 year overseas or when when referred to Council by Advisory Panel
Recertification requirements after PGY2
On removal of the endorsement you are no longer required to work under supervision. However, you must continue to meet the Council’s recertification requirements for doctors registered in the General scope. The Council requires this to maintain the high standards of competence and fitness to practise of doctors in New Zealand.
Doctors are required to enrol in ‘Inpractice’, the Council-approved recertification programme administered by bpacNZ. Doctors participating in an accredited vocational training programme in New Zealand are exempt from needing to enrol in Inpractice.
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This page sets out the recertification programme requirements for doctors registered and practising in the General scope of practice only. This is typically either participation in a medical college vocational training programme, or in the Inpractice recertification programme.
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Inpractice is a recertification programme for doctors registered in the General scope of practice.