Application Information for Australian Graduates

ACE recommends you read all other information available on the ACE RMO website relating to the application as well as the information provided in this section. The bottom of this page also addresses many of the common questions Australian graduates have about applying to and working in New Zealand.

For information about gaining registration in New Zealand, check out Medical Council New Zealand's Registration information for final year Australian medical students.

As a medical graduate from an Australian University, you are eligible to apply via the ACE programme for a first year House Officer position in New Zealand. Below, ACE has put together some pertinent information that should help you when preparing and completing your ACE online application. This is not an exhaustive list of what is required, however, as an overseas applicant there are some specific requirements that must be met for your application to be accepted. You will also find information provided by Medical Council of New Zealand regarding the registration process in the ACE Resources section.

Reference Requirements

The policy set by Te Whatu Ora is that each applicant is required to identify and request three Senior Medical Officers (SMO)/ General Practitioners (GPs) who have supervised them clinically in their final year, to act as referees. The referees must be vocationally registered in the speciality within which they are working and have observed your clinical work in an Australian health setting or in an equivalent setting recognised by the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ). To see a list of MCNZ Comparable health countries please click here.

ACE will allow a few exceptions to this if you are on an overseas clinical work experience position during the first half of your final year:

• One of these three references may be from the second half of your third year.

or

• One reference may be from your overseas elective provided: it is from a hospital that is included in the MCNZ list of comparable health system countries; OR the clinical supervisor providing a reference for an elective in a non-comparable health country possesses a current practising certificate and has vocational scope of practice with either the New Zealand Medical Council, Australian Medical Council, General Medical Council (GMC) or Irish Medical Councils.

When completing the online application you will be required to enter the details and email addresses of your three nominated referees. It is important to ensure that you have the correct email address as an automated request will be sent to your referee and most delays in receiving references result from errors in submitted email addresses. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that the referees submit your reference to ACE as soon as possible and before the closing date for applications.

For more information on references please visit the ACE FAQ section.

Academic Transcripts

As an applicant from an Australian University, you must obtain your own academic transcript from your university. Ensure that it is certified by a lawyer, Justice of the Peace, court registrar, or police officer and attach it to your application. An uncertified transcript will not be accepted and this will result in your application being incomplete and you will not take part in the match process.

Please ensure that you request the document in plenty of time as we are unable to extend the close of applications for any reason.

Late Start Applicants

Applicants should be able to commence employment at the start of the relevant training year. Orientation will start from early January and employment commences from Mid January. If you are unable to start on the date orientation commences you must indicate this and the reason why in your Cover Letter(s) as well as in your ACE application. Late start applicants’ information will still be sent to the employer's and will be clearly marked as a late start. This way, district employers still have the option to rank these applicants if they are happy to accommodate them as a late starter.

Under the ACE Principles and Eligibility, Category 2 applicants are unable to re-apply through the ACE process if not successful in their first application attempt. Prior to commencing your ACE application please review the eligibility criteria available in the ACE Principles and Eligibility section to ensure you are eligible to apply through the scheme.

Common questions regarding Australian graduates applying to NZ