New Zealand Medical Students' Association supports Government plans to increase medical school places

The New Zealand Medical Students’ Association (NZMSA) supports the Government’s plan to increase medical school places. NZMSA recognises the importance of homegrown doctors, and welcomes long-term initiatives to increase our medical workforce. Looking forward, NZMSA wants to work with the Government, Te Whatu Ora, and Auckland and Otago medical schools to ensure that these new medical students receive high quality training and are able to get jobs as doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The relevant parties must work together to ensure that the quality of medical training
remains high. Training medical students is a resource intensive apprenticeship. Medical students gradually acquire clinical experiences over time under the close supervision from qualified doctors. Some students report already feeling that they outnumber the availability of clinical learning opportunities, and that it can be challenging to gain adequate clinical exposure. NZMSA calls on the Government and universities to invest in medical student education to ensure that the increase in medical student numbers does not negatively impact the existing quality of medical training. Ultimately, the quality of the student’s learning experience determines the quality of the doctor.

Medical students can only serve our communities as doctors if they have jobs at the end of medical school. Currently, the system does not offer immediate employment to every student who graduates from New Zealand’s two medical schools. In 2022, 22 medical graduates (three domestic students and 19 international students) who had trained in New Zealand medical schools for at least five years were not offered junior doctor jobs in first round employment, instead facing months of uncertainty. Adding medical students to the pipeline must be matched with a stepwise increase in the number of junior doctor job posts and beyond if our communities are to benefit.

The increase in medical school places presents an opportunity to work towards ensuring we grow an equitable medical workforce that fulfils obligations to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Our medical workforce needs to reflect the makeup of our communities, and in particular priority groups who experience inequitable health outcomes. NZMSA expects that the increase in medical student places will allow the existing Māori and Pacific Admissions Scheme (MAPAS), Regional Rural Admissions Scheme (RRAS), and Te Kauae Parāoa policy at the respective universities to be strengthened. NZMSA strongly supports these policies and encourages the parties to use this opportunity to further embed and expand these initiatives.

The Government’s announcement is a positive step for Aotearoa New Zealand’s medical workforce. NZMSA encourages all parties to remember that these new medical students need quality training and employment opportunities in order to be able to care for our communities as safe and competent doctors.