Dear University of Otago,

Thankyou for informing me that GPA information was deemed to be irrelevant for the purposes of selection to MBChB with the University of Otago under ‘Other’ or ‘Alternative’ Category 2010.

(1) Was GPA information deemed to be relevant for ‘Other’ or ‘Alternative’ Category applicants in any year other than 2010?

(2) What was the algorithm and pre-interview ranking 2010 based on?

(3) What was my ranking prior to offer of interview?

(4) How many Australian citizens have been trained as ‘local’ (with NZ student loan eligibility) by way of ‘Other’ or ‘Alternative’ in the last 10 years?

(5) How many students selected as ‘Other’ in the last 10 years are spouses or relatives of NZ GPs?

Yours faithfully,

K Roe

Dear University of Otago,

Being mindful of the considerable public interest there is in the sustainable development of our public health system I would also like to know:

- How many students in MBChB (and what proportion) have family members or spouses who are on the University of Auckland or Otago Councils / Medical Selection Committees?

I ask this because the University of Otago is (I believe) a public school.

Yours faithfully,

K Roe

Dear University of Otago,

The last one (no more than 3!):

- How many / what proportion have relatives / spouses employed as non-GP medical specialists?

It would help considerably to see these by breakdown of entry category.

For example, to see if the children of GPs are getting the places under 'rural equity' or exactly what is going on.

The thing to bear in mind is that there is nothing to stop wealthy people from contributing towards buying their kid a place at a private institution overseas that is set up to deal with precisely that. We are talking PUBLIC universities in NZ, however, and the issue isn't about buying kids a place so much as stealing a place from other peoples kids so your kid gets a 'lifestyle' job of great 'work like balance' maybe a team of polo ponies and a small plane to work as the head of a hierarchy in an affluent rural community like Wanaka... Or maybe the independent urban community of Ponsonby...

Yours faithfully,

K Roe