Dear University of Otago,

Kia ora,

Under the Official Information Act, I am requesting clarification regarding eligibility and assessment for graduate entry into the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programmes at the University of Otago.

Specifically, I would like to know:

Are applicants who complete their undergraduate degree (e.g., BSc) over a longer timeframe (e.g., 3.5 or 4 years instead of the standard 3 years) eligible to apply under the Graduate General category for MB ChB or BDS?

Does the extended duration of degree completion affect an applicant’s eligibility or competitiveness, assuming all academic and GPA requirements are met?

Are applicants who complete their degrees over a longer period at any disadvantage compared to those who complete their degrees in three years, either formally (e.g., via GPA weighting) or informally (e.g., selection considerations)?

Are such applicants assessed using the same weighted GPA calculation, regardless of the total time taken to complete the degree?

Thank you very much for your time and assistance.

Yours faithfully,

Red4555