Update on the Medical Council's registration pathways and trends

Media releases

Overview of trends 
1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024

Increase in registered doctors

Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand (Council) is committed to meeting Aotearoa New Zealand's healthcare demands by enabling highly qualified international and locally trained doctors to join the workforce through flexible and efficient registration pathways.

  • 2023/2024 growth - The number of registered doctors rose by 3.4%, from 19,344 to 20,010, reflecting a positive trend in workforce expansion.
  • International Medical Graduates (IMGs) - IMGs in 2023/2024 made up 71% of new registrations (1,318), a 16% increase in registrations from the previous year.
  • New Zealand trained doctors – NZ trained doctors accounted for 29% of new registrations (535), a slight decrease of 4.5% from the number registered the previous year.
  • Global comparison - IMGs represent 43.3% of New Zealand’s medical workforce, the highest proportion among comparable developed countries.

The Council remains committed to ensuring high-quality healthcare for all of Aotearoa New Zealand through carefully balanced registration pathways that uphold rigorous standards while supporting workforce growth.

The Council’s model for integrating IMGs is recognised internationally as among the most flexible and supportive, setting a benchmark for comparable developed countries.

Registration pathways
  • Total new registrations - Registrations for new doctors have seen substantial recovery post-COVID, with a 17.4% increase from 2022-2024. The increase for 2023/2024 was 9.5%.
  • Comparable health systems – Of note, registrations from doctors trained in comparable health systems grew by 18.3% in 2023/2024.
  • Competent Authority - this pathway for those who have a primary medical degree from the UK or Ireland and have completed your internship within the UK or Ireland grew by 26.9% in 2023/2024.
  • Diverse applicant pool - In the year ending June 2024, 522 IMGs from countries outside Australia, the UK, and Ireland registered through various pathways suited to their experience.
Fast-track specialist registration
  • Maintaining standards – the pathway has been designed based on previous assessment outcomes for overseas specialists, to ensure we support workforce needs, while protecting public health and safety.
  • Eligibility – doctors from the UK, Ireland, and Australia holding approved postgraduate qualifications, can apply for specialist registration and their applications will be processed within 20 working days.
  • Areas of medicine – the pathway currently covers seven specialties, including: anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, internal medicine, pathology (anatomical) and psychiatry. The current list of approved postgraduate medical qualifications can be found here with potential for further expansion.
Retention
  • While we attract many IMGs, only about 60 percent remain practising here after one year, dropping to 40 percent after two years and 25 percent after ten years. We recognise that this challenging retention rate affects Senior Medical Officers who support IMGs as they integrate into practice.
  • To address this, the Medical Council is working with employers to improve IMG integration and retention through enhanced support, induction, and understanding of the local context.
  • To better understand the reasons behind the low retention rates, it would be helpful for employers to consider implementing an exit survey or interview process. This approach would encourage IMGs who resign to share insights into their decision to leave.
  • Additionally, identifying the groups who are here under time-limited registration and gathering feedback through exit processes will provide valuable information needed to address retention challenges more effectively.
NZREX clinical exam
  • Employment pathway – Of the 169 candidates who passed the NZREX Clinical exam in the last five years, only 31 have not yet secured employment. The majority of those only passed the exam recently. Most gain positions within a few months of passing the exam, highlighting the exam’s effectiveness in preparing IMGs for the New Zealand workforce.

Ends

Contact:
Janette Deed | Principal Communications Advisor | Email: jdeed@mcnz.org.nz