MBBS in New Zealand: Colleges, Fees, Scholarship, Scope

In the peace and tranquility of New Zealand lies two universities offering a world class MBBS degree. MBBS in New Zealand medical colleges is a six-year degree offering state-of-the-art technology and premium quality infrastructure to the aspirants. There are two universities in New Zealand offering MBBS degree and both make it to the top medical colleges (2023) QS Rankings. Each university has two medical colleges, however, only the medical college of University of Otago is approved by MCI (Medical Council of India). 

Students are required to have passed class 12 with science subjects including Biology. For international students, the average cost of studying this program from New Zealand universities is around 70,000-80,000 NZD (~3.7-4.2 Lakh INR). One can earn around 150,000-160,000 NZD per year after completing an MBBS degree in New Zealand.

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Top Universities for MBBS in New Zealand

The University of Otago and the University of Auckland offer MBBS programs in New Zealand. The rankings, tuition fees and related details of the two colleges offering MBBS in New Zealand are given below:

Why Study MBBS in New Zealand?

• The medical council of New Zealand registers over 1500 new doctors each year. 
• One of the medical colleges in New Zealand is approved by MCI, allowing students with an MBBS degree from University of Auckland to practise in India as well
• There are nearly 17,000 doctors practising in New Zealand out of which 40% are from outside New Zealand.
• There is a university regulatory board ‘New Zealand Qualifications Authority’ which ensures that the education imparted in the universities must be of supreme quality. 
• Both the universities offering MBBS in New Zealand are state-sponsored.
• The income of doctors in New Zealand is around 150,000 NZD (~79 Lakh INR) which is almost five times the income of doctors in India after MBBS.
• The country has a high demand for overseas medical practitioners due to the shortage of doctors.

About MBBS in New Zealand Course

• MBBS in New Zealand is a six-year course dealing with the study of medicine and surgery. 
• There is a two-year pre-clinical theoretical course and post-completion of that, a three-year clinical practice course is required. 
• In the sixth year, the subjects are elective as per the desired specialization. 
• The clinical practice mainly covers departments like general medicine, emergency medicine, general surgery, psychiatry, dentistry, general practice and more. 
• At the end of the fifth year, the college conducts an exit exam to determine the eligibility for sixth year. 
• The students can also take a four week elective course in any particular subject offered in the fifth year and eight weeks in the sixth year.

It is important for Indian aspirants to understand the course structure for MBBS program in New Zealand which is slight different from MBBS programs in the home country. The registry of the two colleges within the clause of New Zealand Qualification Authority ensure that irrespective of the difference in the course structure high-quality education is imparted to the students. 

Admission Process for MBBS in New Zealand

Students are required to have a minimum of 75% score in 12th standard to apply for MBBS in New Zealand. However, the admission requirements for studying in New Zealand vary as per the medical college. Given below are the sections briefing the details of the same

How to Apply for MBBS in New Zealand

Link for application and application fee for both the universities offering MBBS in New Zealand is tabulated below:

Eligibility for MBBS in New Zealand Admission

Apart from having competed class 12th in Science subjects with Biology and English with an aggregate of at least 75%. The basic eligibility criteria for the two universities varies. Details of the same are as follows:

MBBS at University of Auckland

For admisions with University of Auckland in MBBS program an international student can apply through two enteries: First year entry from BHSc/BSc or through Graduate Entry. 

First Year Entry: As a first year applicant you are required to complete eight required courses in the first year of BSc or Bachelor of health science at University of Auckland. It is important that the FT-courses are completed in first attempt and in the year of application for MB ChB program. 

• A GPA of 6.0 on a scale of 8.0 will be required in all eight courses to be eligible for an interview. 
• UMAT score should also be submitted. 

The admission decisions will be made on the basis of GPA (60% weightage), UMAT score (15% weightage), and multi-mini interviews (25% weightage). 

Graduate Entry: For graduate entry to MB ChB program at the university, international students are required to have a previous relevant degree. The degree can be in any pre-medical course. Shortlisted applicants based on their performance will be shortlisted for a skype/phone interview. 

Admissions will be offered based solely on the academic excellence and interview performace. 

MBBS at University of Otago

Similar to University of Auckland, getting admisions at University of Otago will require an international medicine aspirant to take entry through one of the following routes:

Health Sciences First Year: You are required to be enrolled with the health sciences program of the university. You are required to pass all the suggested papers with 70% marks and fulfill the entry requirements of the medical admissions committee to successfully make it to the MB ChB program. It is important to keep in mind the courses are passed in first attempt while pursuing the program full-time. 

Gradaute Entry: You are required to have a previous bachelors degree/bachelor in Hons degree from any university in New Zealand. The degree must be completed in minium time and you must have a GPA fulfilling the medical admissions committee’s standards. 

Admissions are solely dependent on the academic merit of the individual. In cases where interviews are held, your admission decision may be affected by your performance in the interview.  

Proof of English Proficiency for International Students

International students are required to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Minimum score requirement for pursuing MBBS in New Zealand is:

• IELTS: 6.0
• TOEFL (iBT): 80

The general requirement for getting admissions in MBBS programs in New Zealand will require you to either have a previous bachelors degree or complete an year of education at the respective university you wish to apply for with a specific GPA. Non-native English speaking students will be required to submit proof of language proficiency along with other documents. You will also be required to sit for UMAT exam (now UCAT) which is a medicine entry test. 

Cost of Studying MBBS in New Zealand

The average cost of living for the students in New Zealand is about 14,000-16000 NZD per year. It includes accommodation charges, food, traveling and other essentials. In most of the colleges, there is a hall of residence (hostel) that is on a twin sharing basis. This is the cheapest option for international students as it is provided by the college. 

There are other options available i.e. furnished flats which are a part of private hostels provided by the college. Homestay is another option for the students who don’t want to be accommodated in college hostels. 

One can opt to stay with a New Zealand family in their home as a paying guest. Public transport is very cheap in New Zealand. The usual ticket rates for the metro range between 1.25-2.00 NZD.

Pre Arrival Cost

These expenses are required to be paid before getting enrolled in the university. An average cost is tabulated below: 

Tuition Fees for MBBS in New Zealand

The tuition fees for the two colleges, University of Auckland and University of Otago are 77,000 and 35,000 NZD, respectively. For an Indian student this will round-off to a sum of 40 Lakhs INR and 18 Lakhs NZD . The cost of pursuing MBBS in India is around 4-15 Lakhs a year. Pursuing MBBS at the University of Otago will not only cost you somewhere similar to what it costs to pursue MBBS in India but will also give you additional cultural exposure to studying abroad.

Cost of living in New Zealand

The cost of living in New Zealand is neither expensive nor cheap. The main part of the budget is seized by house rent and food. After getting a scholarship, one can be least bothered about the monthly budget because the maximum part is covered by the scholarship amount. Also, the government of New Zealand provides a lot of schemes for education loan. 

There is a reasonable restriction for education loans that one must obtain residency status before applying for a loan. The loan amount can be easily paid after completing the degree. The type of expenses are tabled below:

Scholarship for MBBS in New Zealand

There are some scholarships for international students in New Zealand provided by the universities. The scholarship amount also includes traveling and accommodation costs. The eligibility criteria and amount for them is tabled below:

Job Opportunities after MBBS in New Zealand

After MBBS, you can pursue surgery with an effective restriction of performing solo surgery. As the experience is less, the student is allowed to pursue group surgeries. There is a shortage of doctors in the country so the demand is very high. 

After completing the degree, the average annual income of a doctor is around 100,000-250,000 NZD. State-of-the-art technology in New Zealand provides a great opportunity for medical students to earn handsome money after completing the degree. 

The qualified candidates hired by the District Health Board get an annual salary of around 150,000-200,000 NZD. Physicians working in the private sector can earn around 20,000 more as private hospitals pay good amounts of salary in this country. Some common jobs in New Zealand after MBBS are discussed below:

MBBS in New Zealand is a 6-year course after which one can start practicing in the country with a good income. About 30,000 international students are pursuing MBBS and similar undergraduate courses from the universities of New Zealand. 

The MBBS degree from New Zealand has been recognized globally and the degree has a very high value. After pursuing MBBS from New Zealand universities it becomes easier to go for a master's in the country as the universities prefer the candidates who have graduated from New Zealand.

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