Electives for final-year medical students from outside of New Zealand

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago offers elective placements to final year visiting international medical students. The Faculty defines visiting students as those who are seeking to complete a medical elective placement at a hospital affiliated with the University of Otago whilst enrolled in a medical program at an overseas institution.

The elective placements are only available to students who are in their final year of clinical training in a recognised medical degree from another institution. The placements are electives only, and we are unable to provide summative assessments or formal teaching sessions as part of these electives.

Electives are offered for a maximum of 6 weeks, and applicants may only apply for one elective in a single discipline per calendar year. The minimum placement length is 4 weeks.

Conditions and requirements

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in a recognised medical program and be in their final year of clinical training at the time of placement commencement (not at the time of application).
• Applicants must provide a letter of good standing or similar, or evidence of a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a four-point scale.
• Applicants must meet one of the following prerequisite English language requirements (in line with Medical Council of New Zealand English language requirements):
  • Speak English as a first language and be completing a primary medical qualification from Australia, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, or a Canadian or South African medical school where English is the sole language of instruction of that medical school.
  • Pass the Academic Module of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) by achieving a minimum of the following within one result, in the last two years:
    • Speaking 7.5
    • Listening 7.5
    • Writing 7.0
    • Reading 7.0
  • Pass the Medical module of the OET by achieving a minimum score of 350 in each of the four components (reading, writing, listening and speaking) within one result, in the last two years.
• Applicants are not permitted to contact hospitals or medical professionals directly to make elective placement arrangements. All co‑ordination is to be completed through Faculty of Medicine Electives. The Faculty does not accept applications made directly to a potential supervisor
• All requested documentation must be in English
• All requested documentation must be provided no later than eight weeks prior to placement, or the elective placement may be at risk of cancellation
• Applicants are responsible for all costs associated with travel, accommodation and living expenses
• The Faculty of Medicine reserves the right to cancel a medical elective if there are concerns regarding the validity of the information provided by an applicant or should unsafe or unprofessional conduct occur during the elective

Placements

• The elective period is between late February and mid November each year, and placements are 6 weeks in length (see exact dates below)
• The fee for all elective placements is NZ$1,500 (including GST). Payment must be made with 10 working days of receiving a letter of offer, otherwise the student will forfeit the placement and we will re-offer the placement to another student
• Applicants may only apply for one elective placement in a single discipline, per calendar year, i.e. elective placements cannot be split
• Placement availability at our sites is limited and students must select from the placements offered. The Faculty of Medicine cannot guarantee the availability of clinical placements and may not be able to source a place for every applicant
• Specific placement availability (i.e., which specialty you will work in) will only be known 5 months in advance of the placement date
• Only one offer will be made to each applicant. Should this offer be declined, no further offers will be made, and the application will be deemed withdrawn by the student
• The placements are for electives only; the Faculty of Medicine is unable to provide summative assessments or formal teaching sessions as part of these electives, and we are unable to supervise research projects or audits for elective students
• After accepting an offered placement, the NZ$1,500 (incl. GST ) placement fee will be charged and is non-refundable

Elective dates

2026–2027 Elective quarter dates

Application process

If you are interested in applying, first register your interest in one of the next upcoming 6-week blocks by filling out the pre-application form linked below. This can be done at any time.

Register your interest

Applications are processed on a quarterly basis, no earlier than 6 months and no later than 4 months prior to your requested placement dates. We will contact you when placements become available for your selected block dates and send a list of elective opportunities for you to choose from.

Offer and post-acceptance documentation

Acceptance of offer and fee payment

If you are successful in securing an elective, you will receive a formal Letter of Offer. You must confirm acceptance of this offer and pay the elective fee of NZ$1,500 (incl. GST ) within 10 calendar days.

Documentation

After you have accepted your offer and paid the placement fee, we will send you a post acceptance form to complete. You are required to provide the post acceptance documentation listed below no later than eight weeks prior to commencement.
Email oms.electives@otago.ac.nz

Post-acceptance documentation checklist:

1. Letter of good standing from home institution, or evidence of a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a four-point scale.
2. Confirmation of English language requirement (see Conditions and requirements above).
3. Proof of immunisation:
   • MMR
   • VZV
   • Hepatitis B
   • Pertussis
   • COVID-19 immunisation recommended
4. Evidence of travel/health insurance.
5. Evidence of valid visa status:
   It is your responsibility to check the Immigration New Zealand website to confirm what is required for your visa. The University of Otago cannot provide advice to international students regarding visas.
   In general, the following will apply:
   • New Zealand Citizens and permanent residents will not require a visa
   • Australian citizens do not need to apply for a visa in advance of arrival
   • Students from some countries may be able to enter New Zealand without applying for visa in advance but will require a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before entering New Zealand
   • All other applicants will need to obtain a Student and Trainee Work Visa which will cost in excess of NZ$1,000
6. Evidence of medical indemnity insurance.
7. Criminal history check:
   Police clearance certificate issued by your country of domicile issued within the last 3 years. This should be an enhanced certificate which covers working with children and adults.