Otago Medical School

Medicine at Otago University

The Faculty of Medicine is a Faculty  within the Division of Health Sciences. The Faculty of Medicine has a long history of provision of research-based undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and academic programmes of study of international standard. The Faculty also fosters a broad range of active research programmes on all three campuses.

The Faculty of Medicine consists of four Schools at three campuses: Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington. The Schools are:

• Otago School of Medical Sciences (OSMS)
• University of Otago Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences (UOC)
• University of Otago Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences (UOW)
• Dunedin School of Medicine (DSM)

Links to the Home Pages for each of the four Schools are provided at the top of this page. This website provides information about our courses, our Schools, our staff and our research. You will also find links to our Faculty newsletters and other useful information. We invite you to contact the Faculty with any queries that you may have.

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB)

The Medical course at the University of Otago leads to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB).

Admission to Medicine is competitive. Of the 210 places, approximately 150 students are selected after completing the Health Sciences First Year, approximately 40 are admitted through Graduate Entry, and 20 are accepted under Further Categories – available to Maori and Pacific Island (Polynesian) ethnicity, allied health professionals, those with mental health professional experience and mature graduates.

Students who have had a rural New Zealand upbringing and/or education may apply under the Rural Origins sub-categories through First Year, Graduate Entry or Further Categories. A limited number of additional places may be available for foreign government sponsored International students who return to their home country after graduating: the number of places is subject to annual review.

Before you can practise as a doctor in New Zealand, you must register with the Medical Council of New Zealand and complete one year of supervised practice in a hospital. There are limited, if any, places available for International students who will normally complete registration requirements in their home country.

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