2024 Programme Limitations – Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (Clinical Programmes)
The Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences proposes the following maximum number of students in the following programmes in 2024 because of an
insufficiency of accommodation and/or staff to provide adequate teaching to all students expected to seek a place.
Section 1: Limitations
Approved limit
Admission
Proposed limit
Programme
Category
2023
2023**
2024
Domestic (includes MAPAS and UTAS numbers below)
257
262
287
International
30
26
30
Total
287
288
317
Rural/Regional Admission Scheme
52
65
Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery
UTAS
(MBChB) Year 2
MAPAS/UTAS (Māori & Pacific Admission Scheme)*
103
55
115
Students with disabilities
2
2
2
Students from refugee backgrounds
1
1
1
Students from low socio-economic background
5
5
6
UTAS Total
111
63
124
* The MAPAS/UTAS places include any Māori and Pacific students admitted to the relevant programme under the Māori and Pacific Admissions Scheme who would not have been eligible for a place were it not for
the MAPAS admissions process.
** 2023 admission indicative as at 16/02/2023. Sourced from SMR Applicant to Enrolment Report, Enrolled Student Data.
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Section 2: Selection criteria
The following criteria are proposed to be used by the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences to select students
into limited entry programmes in 2024.
MBChB
Applications are accepted in four entry categories; General Admission, UTAS (including Māori and Pacific,
Disability, Low Socio-Economic and Refugee backgrounds), Regional/Rural and International.
Selection is based on a combination of:
•
academic performance indicated by the applicant’s GPA, and
•
performance in the Clinical Selection Test (for Year 1 entry) (if required); and
•
performance in the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT-ANZ) completed in the year of application,
and
•
an assessment of performance in a series of Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), or panel interview
(International only), and
•
any additional qualities required according to the applicant’s entry category.
Note: All applicants will be subject to Police Vetting and Vulnerable Children’s Act Checks.
General Admission Entry Categories
Year 1 Entry
To qualify for consideration, applicants must have:
•
completed Year 1 of the Bachelor of Health Sciences or Year 1 of the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical
Science including the courses specified in the University Calendar for 2024 entry with a GPA of 6.0 or
higher. This study must have been completed in one full-time year in the year of application. Only the
first attempt for these courses will be considered for admission in the Year 1 Entry category
•
Applicants with more than two aegrotat or compassionate consideration passes in Year 1 are not
eligible for consideration under the Year 1 entry category
•
completed the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT-ANZ) in the year of application.
•
completed the Clinical Selection Test (which incorporates the core courses of CHEM 110, BIOSCI 107
and POPLHTLH 111) (if required)
Applicants will be required to complete the Clinical Selection Test if the University is unable to offer in person
examinations for the core courses under invigilated examination conditions in 2023. The Clinical Selection
Test incorporates the content of the core courses. If the Clinical Selection Test is required then the results
will form part of the selection criteria.
Interview places will be offered on the basis of a ranking calculated on the grades achieved in the four
common courses that are offered in both the BHSc and the BSc Biomedical Science programmes (MEDSCI
142, BIOSCI 107, CHEM 110, POPLHLTH 111) and performance in the Clinical Selection Test (if required). If
final grades are not available at the time of interview ranking, an interim grade (highest possible grade) will
be temporarily assigned. Official final results will be used for the final selection.
Following interview, a rank order of applicants based on their academic performance (based on the grades
achieved in the four common courses performance in the UCAT-ANZ test, and interview performance, is
established at a meeting of the Medical Admissions Subcommittee.
Places will be offered to the highest-ranking applicants until the limit is reached.
Note: Once accepted into the programme, applicants will not be permitted to defer their
start/commencement date.
Graduate Entry
Applicants in the Graduate category may apply once only for each qualification attained which meets entry
requirements.
In order to be eligible for consideration, applicants must have:
•
completed a degree or postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma qualification, normally in the
minimum academic time from a New Zealand university within the last five years with a GPA of 6.0
or higher, and
•
completed the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT-ANZ) in the year of application.
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Interview places will be offered on the basis of a ranking derived from the cumulative GPA from the
qualifying programme. If final grades are not available at the time of interview ranking, an interim grade
(highest possible grade) will be temporarily assigned. Official final results will be used for the final selection.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances applicants unable to attend their interview on the relevant date
will not be considered further.
Following interview, a rank order of applicants based on their academic performance (the final grades
achieved in the qualifying programme), performance in all sections the UCAT-ANZ test and interview
performance is established at a meeting of the Medical Admissions Subcommittee.
Places will be offered to the highest-ranking applicants until the limit is reached.
NOTE: Graduate applicants who are due to complete their degree in the year of application, must provide
finalised results no later than 30 November in the year of application.
Applicants (domestic or international) who have received a conditional offer of a place for 2024 entry, in
either the Year 1 or Graduate entry category, that specifies the completion of any of the core courses of
CHEM 110, BIOSCI 107 or POPLHTLH 111 will be required to complete the Clinical Selection Test for that
course/s if the University is unable to offer an in-person examination of that course under invigilated
examination conditions in 2023.
UTAS – See Section 3
Māori and Pacific Admissions Scheme (MAPAS):
Those applicants who have Indigenous Māori or Pacific ancestry as assessed by the MAPAS admissions
process may choose to be considered for this equity admission pathway.
Year 1 Entry (MAPAS)
To qualify for consideration for entry to MBChB in 2024, MAPAS applicants must have:
•
completed Year 1 of the Bachelor of Health Sciences or Year 1 of the Bachelor of Science in
Biomedical Science including the courses specified in the University Calendar for 2023 without any
Fail grades. This study must have been completed on a full-time basis and in the year of application.
Only the first attempt for these courses will be considered for admission in the First Year category,
and
•
completed the 2023 Clinical Selection Test (CST) (if required), and
•
completed the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT-ANZ) in the year of application.
MAPAS Specialty Interview places for MBChB will be offered on the basis of the MAPAS Admission Panel’s
assessment of grades achieved in the four common courses that are offered in both the BHSc and the BSc in
Biomedical Science programmes (MEDSCI 142, BIOSCI 107, CHEM 110, POPLHLTH 111), Clinical Selection
Test GPA (if required) and total GPA achieved across all courses undertaken in Year 1 of the Bachelor of
Health Sciences or Year 1 of the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science.
The MAPAS Specialty Interview process consists of a MAPAS MMI.
All MAPAS applicants are also required to attend a General Admission MMI.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, applicants unable to attend their MAPAS Specialty Interview or
MAPAS General Admission MMI on the relevant date will not be considered further.
Following the MAPAS Specialty Interview, the MAPAS Admission Panel will convene to review all data
available for each MAPAS Year 1 applicant including: academic performance via the Core-4 course GPA,
Clinical Selection Test (if required) and total GPA, MAPAS MMI scores, General Admission MMI scores, UCAT-
ANZ score and MAPAS engagement (where applicable). Initial ranking is assessed using the Core-4 course
GPA and the cut-off is determined by the MAPAS Admission Panel based on assessment of all data points for
individual applicants together with consideration of the total number of applicants and MAPAS places
available under both MAPAS Year 1 and Graduate entry pathways.
Graduate Entry (MAPAS)
Applicants in the Graduate Entry category may apply once only for each qualification attained which meets
entry requirements.
In order to be eligible for consideration, MAPAS applicants must have
•
completed a degree or postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma qualification, normally in the
minimum academic time, from a New Zealand university, within the last five years, and
•
completed the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT-ANZ) in the year of application.
Following the MAPAS Specialty Interview, the MAPAS Admission Panel will convene to review all data
available for each MAPAS Graduate applicant including: academic performance via cumulative GPA, GPA
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Last-2 years of study, previous Core-4 course GPA (if relevant), MAPAS MMI scores, General Admission MMI
scores, UCAT-ANZ score, degree area of specialty (and relevance to MBChB content) and MAPAS
engagement (where applicable). Initial ranking is assessed using cumulative GPA and a cut-off line is
determined by the MAPAS Admission Panel based on assessment of all data points for individual applicants
alongside consideration of the total number of applicants and MAPAS places available under both MAPAS
undergraduate and graduate entry pathways.
The MAPAS Admission Panel members include: Tumuaki FMHS (Chair), Associate Dean Pacific FMHS,
Director Vision 20:20, TKHM staff acting as interviewers for MAPAS Specialty Interviews, Section of Pacific
Health staff acting as interviewers for MAPAS Specialty Interviews, Community members acting as
interviewers for MAPAS Specialty Interviews and MAPAS SSA staff from relevant programmes.
Regional/Rural Admissions Scheme (RRAS):
Those applicants who are eligible to apply in the Undergraduate or Graduate entry categories, and who meet the
eligibility criteria for the Regional/Rural Admissions Scheme may choose to be considered for this quota.
In order to qualify as a regional/rural student, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
1. Five years or more of primary education (Years 1-8) spent in a school within a regional/rural
area, or
2.
Three years or more of secondary education (Years 9-13) spent in a school within a
regional/rural area
The definitions of rural and regional are derived from the Statistics New Zealand 2020 Urban Accessibility
classification:
Rural = Medium urban area, medium urban accessibility, low urban accessibility, remote, very remote Regional = Large urban area, high urban accessibility
A list of schools by classification will be published on the UoA website. The classification of the school at the time
of application will be used to determine eligibility under RRAS.
International:
International applicants are eligible to apply in either Year 1 or graduate categories, and the same process
and criteria as outlined above will apply, with the exception that international graduate applicants must have
completed a relevant degree and will complete a panel interview and are not required to sit a UCAT-ANZ
assessment. A relevant degree is defined as one in which applicants have completed courses equivalent to
CHEM 110, BIOSCI 107, MEDSCI 142 and POPLHLTH 111. Graduate applicants are required to have English
language skills at IELTS of 7.5 or higher if they have not undertaken their prior tertiary studies in English.
International applicants who are applying under the year 1 category are required to undertake the MMI.
International applicants who have received conditional offers (International Pathway applicants) may be
required to undertake the MMI according to the conditions of their offer.
Applicants who have received a conditional offer of a place for 2024 entry, in either the Year 1 or Graduate
entry category, that specifies the completion of any of the core courses of CHEM 110, BIOSCI 107 or
POPLHTLH 111, and where the course/s is completed in Semester One 2023 will be required to complete the
Clinical Selection Test if the University is unable to offer in person examinations for the core courses under
invigilated examination conditions in 2023.
Application of Selection Criteria
The Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences on the advice of the MBChB Admissions
subcommittee will determine matters concerning the application of the selection criteria, including but not
limited to the weighting of GPA, MMI, and the Clinical Selection Test (if required) in assessing the merit of
applicants.
Selection Committee
Medical Admissions Subcommittee - Chair: Director of Medical Admissions, Heads of Schools of Medicine,
Medical Sciences and Population Health or their nominees, Head of the Medical Programme, Associate Dean
(Academic), Vice-Chancellor’s nominee Phase 1 Director, Tumuaki or nominee, Director Vision 20:20,
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Academic Services Manager, Two practising clinical academics appointed by the Board of Studies
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Section 3: UTAS Selection criteria
The following criteria are proposed to be used by the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences to select UTAS
students into limited entry programmes in 2024.
MBChB
Māori and Pacific
Graduate Entry categories, and who are able to demonstrate Indigenous Māori or Pacific ancestry as assessed
by the MAPAS admissions process can be considered for a MAPAS place.
Applicants will be selected for interview on the basis of GPA. Applicants invited to interview will be required
to attend both a General and Specialty interview.
Following the interview, the MAPAS Admissions panel will meet to consider each application, which will focus
on academic ability and qualitative evaluation of personal qualities.
Students with Disabilities, Students from Low Socio-economic backgrounds and Refugee
background students
Applicants who are eligible to apply in the First Year or Graduate Entry categories, and who are able to
demonstrate that they fit the definition of students with disabilities, students from low socioeconomic
backgrounds or students from refugee background set out in the University’s UTAS policy will be assessed on
their potential to succeed (including for Students with Disabilities, their ability to undertake the programme
given their disability and any reasonable accommodation).
Applicants who are considered to have the potential to succeed will be offered an interview.
Following the interview a rank score will be generated based on academic ability, and the qualitative
evaluation of personal qualities and suitable support systems. UTAS applicants may be offered a place up to
the limit available.
Selection committee: MBChB Admissions Subcommittee
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