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This section contains high level information relating to the ACE application process. More information relating to each stage can be found in the ACE applicant guide available in the ACE Resources section.

Click below to see more information about each of the 5 steps

Step 1                  Step 2                  Step 3                  Step 4                  Step 5

Step 1: Complete your ACE Application

In order for your application to progress to the next step it must read complete at the time applications close, 12pm on Friday 8th June 2018. There is no submit button for ACE; provided your application is deemed complete it will automatically be eligible for the next stage of the process.

  • Upload your up-to-date CV
The ACE CV template can be downloaded in the ACE Resources section. This can be used as a guide when putting together your CV.  ACE recommends to include a personal summary in the CVs as some of the DHBs may not look at the cover letters.
 
  • Upload a copy of your certified academic transcript
Australian Graduates: If you are graduating from an Australian medical school you will need to attach a certified copy of your Official University Academic Transcript to your ACE application before the closing date. For more information on who can certify your documents see below. 
New Zealand Graduates: If you are graduating from a New Zealand medical school you will be asked to sign a consent form at the end of your fifth year allowing the faculty of medicine at your school to send your transcript directly to ACE. ACE will start attaching this document to your application in April. ACE might not receive transcripts for some students for various reasons e.g. unpaid fees etc. If your transcript has not been attached to your application by the end of April, please contact the ACE Centre. 
Please note if you do/did not give your consent your transcript will not be provided to ACE. You will then need to individually request this document from your University, have it certified and upload it to your ACE application.
 
  • Upload your clinical results/dean’s commendations
As part of your ACE application you have the opportunity to supply copies of dean’s commendations or overall distinction in clinical results that you may have received during your final years at medical school. These may be considered by employers and contribute to your overall ACE score. Note that these documents must be uploaded to your ACE application in order to be considered by ACE and employers.
 
  • Attach certified copies of your citizenship or residency documents
All graduates are required to provide proof of identification and citizenship/residency documents as part of their application. You will need to supply certified copies of one of the following sets of documents:
1) Photo page of New Zealand/Australian passport
    AND
NZ/Australian driver’s licence or NZ Tertiary Student Identification Card
2) Photo page of an overseas passport 
    AND
Relevant visa page indicating residency or a New Zealand visa
    AND
NZ/Australian driver’s licence or NZ Tertiary Student Identification Card
3) Certified NZ/Australian birth certificate or citizenship certificate 
    AND
NZ/Australian driver’s licence or NZ Tertiary Student Identification Card
 
  • Supply three references
You will be required to nominate three referees within your application to complete references for you. All three of these references must be complete in order for your application to be deemed complete. More information about who is eligible to act as a referee can be found in the FAQs section of the application site.
Referees must complete these references electronically via the unique link sent to them when you enter their details into the ACE online form. When the applications are not open you are able to download the ACE Reference Form and share this with your referee. Your referee can then send this form directly back to ACE via email or fax. Please note, if your referee is completing a hard copy reference form prior to applications opening you will be required to enter their details into your application once the applications are open and notify ACE to upload the reference for you. ACE will NOT upload these references until you have notified them to do this.
Please note that the hard copy reference forms should only be used for references that are completed before the applications open. All other references must be completed by the referees electronically via the ACE system.
 
The applicants are allowed to choose references from different settings e.g. mix of GP, hospital based(different clinical attachments), laboratory based, community setting.
 
  • Preference, in order, the employers you wish to work for 
As part of your ACE application you are able to preference up to 20 employers for whom you may wish to work. You must preference a minimum of 6 employers in order for your application to be considered complete. Applicants with specific circumstances that require them to remain within a certain region must notify the employer by indicating this within their cover letter. Please note however that this does not guarantee a match to that employer. Please note that your DHB preferences are confidential and you are not required to disclose them to the DHBs at any stage.
 
  • Attach cover letters for the employers you wish to work for (optional)
Although Cover Letters are not mandatory, you are able to attach either a generic cover letter addressed to all your preferred employers, and/or individual cover letters addressed to each.
 
Step 2: ACE assesses and scores all complete applications
 
ACE first ensures each application meets the eligibility requirements and then uses a set of nationally agreed criteria to assess and score each application prior to sending them to employers.
 
ACE looks at the following components as part of their assessment:
  • Academic transcript
  • Publications 
  • Other degrees
  • Prizes, awards or scholarships
  • References 
 
Don’t be alarmed! It’s not all about the score you receive; some employers will take ACE scores into consideration while others will use their own assessment criteria to look at graduates’ suitability.
 
Please note that the employers(DHBs) receive the complete application including all the documents submitted and all information entered in the online application. ACE does not hold back any documents or any information included in the online application.
 
Step 3: Employers shortlist and rank preferred graduates
 
Employer shortlisting and selection takes place over a three week period. During this time, employers are entirely responsible for their own processes.  Note that each employer will follow their own process and may place value on different attributes. ACE therefore recommends you review the employer information sheets (found in the Employer Information section) for more information regarding each employer’s prerequisites.
 
Step 4: ACE perform the algorithm match
 
In accordance with the ACE algorithm priorities (outlined below), the algorithm matches graduates to their highest preferred employer wherever possible. Where an applicant is unable to be matched to their first preferred employer, the algorithm will work to match them to their second, then third and so on. The ACE algorithm will continue until all positions have been filled or there are no further graduates available to be matched.
 
ACE Algorithm Priorities:
  1. Graduates preference of employers is the algorithms highest priority
  2. Employer ranking of preferred graduates is the algorithms second priority
  3. Graduates may only be matched to one employer
For a more detailed explanation of the ACE algorithm go to  the ACE Match Algorithm section.
 
Step 5: ACE match result released and offers made
 
Once the ACE match has run and employers have been notified of their successfully matched graduates, ACE will inform all applicants of the outcome of their application. For the 2018 intake, ACE will inform all graduates on 30 July 2018. (Employers may commence or complete safety checking processes as required under the Vulnerable Children ACE (2014) (VCA). Formal offers to matched graduates will be released on 6 August 2018.)
 
Please note that employer processes between 31 July and 6 August will vary. Some employers may contact you to carry out the checking, others may do this after they have extended a conditional offer. As such, do not be alarmed if you are not contacted during this period. Questions relating to an employer’s safety checking process should be directed to the key contact at each employer. You will find this information in the Employer Information section.
 
Most of the employers send the offer letters via email however if you are going to be on your elective at the time the offers are sent out and are not able to accept your offer, then you can nominate someone on your behalf to accept the offer. You just need to add their name in your application and fill the statutory declaration form (available under the additional resources on the ACE website). Your nominated person will return the statutory declaration form along with the signed offer letter to your matched employer to accept the offer on your behalf. You can also send a copy of the statutory declaration to ACE to have it saved to your file.

  • Who can certify my documents for ACE?

    Documents must be legally certified by a Justice of the Peace (JP), lawyer, a court registrar or police officer. To find a JP close to you check out Find A JP.

  • Additional information for references

    Each graduate is required to identify, discuss and agree with 3 Senior Medical Officers (SMO) who have supervised them clinically in 6th year as a trainee intern, to act as referees. 

    Your referees must be an SMO or Consultant who is vocationally registered in the specialty they are working, or who is working as a General Practitioner. In the case that your SMO or Consultant is vocationally registered overseas, they must be registered in a comparable health country  as outlined by MCNZ to be eligible to supply a reference for you.

    Exception

    Where a Trainee Intern (TI) is going on an overseas elective during the first half of their TI year ACE will allow the graduate to supply ONE reference which is an exception to the above requirements. 

    In these cases ACE will accept:

    • One of these 3 references from the second half of a graduates fifth year. 
    •       OR
    • One reference from a graduates elective provided it is from a hospital that is included in the MCNZ list of comparable health system countries.  (Following an amendment to the ACE Business rules, applicants completing an elective in a non-comparable health country can use a reference from that placement if their clinical supervisor possess a current New Zealand practising certificate and have a vocational scope of practice with either the New Zealand Medical Council, Australian Medical Council, General Medical Council (GMC) or Irish Medical Councils.)

    Applicants in this situation must supply 2 further references from supervising clinicians in their final year.

    If you have any extenuating circumstances that may prevent you from meeting the above requirements (for example you were doing research during your fifth year and will be on elective in the first half of the sixth year) you should contact the ACE centre as early as possible to discuss your options.

  • Why do I need to preference 6 DHBs?

    The requirement to select a minimum of 6 preferred employers assists towards a fair process for all graduates. Throughout a doctor's career there will be times when moving regions, and sometimes countries, is required. As such, it is strongly advised that applicants be prepared to move outside the region in which they currently reside. It is recommended that you clearly stipulate in your cover letter if you are in a situation that makes it difficult to move to another employer region, however please note this does not mean a match to that DHB will be guaranteed.

  • Information for paired applicants

    ACE allows for potential couples who wish to work together at the same DHB and who are both applying via ACE in the same intake, to submit their applications as a pair. However, there are potential consequences you should consider before deciding to apply as a pair as these may impact your match outcome!

    1. The ACE algorithm will consider the pair based on the lowest eligibility category of the two applicants.
    2. The ACE algorithm will consider the pair based on the lowest employer ranking of the two applicants. 
    3. A match can only be facilitated where there are 2 PGY1 positions still available at the time the algorithm considers the pair.

    More information regarding applying as a pair can be found in the ACE applicant guide

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