23 September 2022
By email: [FYI request #20313 email]
Dear S Clarke
I refer to your information request dated 22 August 2022 made under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act). You have requested information in relation to entry to the Bachelor of Medicine and
Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programmes via the Graduate
Māori and Graduate Indigenous Pacific Equity Groups.
Please see our responses to each of your questions below. We note that we provide extensive
information on our Māori and Pacific strategies and policies on our website, including the Māori
Strategic Framework 2022; the Pacific Strategic Framework 2022; and Te Kauae Parāoa: Division of
Health Sciences Policy on Admissions. These documents clarify that working towards a more
culturally competent and equitable health workforce that mirrors New Zealand society is a major
priority for both the University of Otago and the Division of Health Sciences.
Entry requirements (academic grades) for BDS and MB ChB from HSFY for graduate
students
In order to be considered for admission to the BDS programme via the Graduate category, applicants
must have completed, normally in the minimum academic time and within three years of the date of
application, the requirements of a degree awarded by a University in New Zealand. Applicants must
also have a current UCAT result and have achieved a score in all five of the UCAT sections at a
threshold level determined annually by the Dental Admissions Committee, to proceed to interview.
Further information on the entry requirements for the BDS programme via the Graduate category,
including how a score for candidates is calculated, please refer to the Guidelines for Admission and
Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS).
In order to be considered for admission to the MB ChB programme via the Graduate category,
applicants must have completed, normally in the minimum academic time and within three years of
the date of application, the requirements of a degree awarded by a University in New Zealand.
Applicants must also have a current UCAT result and achieved a score in all five of the UCAT sections
at a threshold level determined annually by the Medical Admission Committee. Further information
on the entry requirements for the MB ChB programme via the Graduate category, including how a
score for candidates is calculated, please refer to the Guidelines for Admission and Regulations for
the Degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB).
We note that applicants applying for admission to the BDS and MB ChB programmes via the
Graduate category are not required to have taken Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) papers as part of
their qualifying degree for admission under the Graduate category. BDS applicants must have the
equivalent of the HSFY papers when they apply. However, graduates cannot enter the MB ChB
programme without these. This means that if an applicant reaches the required standard with their
GPA without the HSFY papers they will receive a provisional offer which requires them to then sit
and complete successfully, to the minimum standard required, any missing HSFY papers. If they
meet this requirement, the offer then converts to a full, unconditional offer.
Lowest academic grades of Māori and Pacific students who were accepted for BDS and
MB ChB in the last 3 years
In your request, you have asked for the threshold entry requirements for BDS and MB ChB for the
Māori and Pacific Equity Groups “from 2021, 2020 and 2019 for graduate students”. However, you
have also asked for this same data from “the last 3 years.” We interpret “the last 3 years” to include
the data we have available in relation to 2022. For this reason, we have included the relevant data
from 2019 to 2022, in order to ensure we have responded to your request in full.
Minimum GPAs to Receive Unconditional Offers
Programme Category
Equity Group
2019
2020
2021
2022
MB ChB
Graduate
Māori
4.42
4.92
5.00
4.51
Indigenous Pacific
<5
4.74
4.89
4.83
students
BDS
Graduate
Māori
<5
<5
4.95
4.99
students
students
Indigenous Pacific
<5
<5
4.97
5.05
students
students
We note that where there were below five successful applicants in a group, we have not disclosed
the relevant GPA as there is a risk the individuals concerned could be identifiable.
There were a number of students who were considered under both categories together however,
again, there were fewer than five students in this group so the relevant GPA cannot be disclosed.
Number of Māori and Pacific students who got into BDS and MB ChB in the last 3 years
Please see the below table which shows the number of applicants to receive unconditional offers to
enter the 2019 – 2022 BDS and MB ChB programmes via the Graduate Māori and Graduate
Indigenous Pacific Equity Groups. In each instance, offers were typically made the preceding year for
study in the following year e.g., 20 offers were made in 2018 in the MB ChB Māori Graduate
category, for study in 2019.
Number of Applicants to Receive Unconditional Offers
Programme Category
Equity Group
2019
2020
2021
2022
MB ChB
Graduate
Māori
20
8
9
20
Indigenous Pacific
9
6
<5 students
6
BDS
Graduate
Māori
5
<5 students <5 students
7
Indigenous Pacific
5
<5 students
5
<5 students
Is there a set number of Māori and Pacific students, and set academic grade threshold for
BDS and MB ChB entry?
There is no fixed number of positions available for applicants to the MB ChB or BDS programmes via
the Graduate Māori or Graduate Indigenous Pacific Equity Groups. The exact number of applicants
admitted to the MB ChB or BDS programmes via the Graduate Māori or Graduate Indigenous Pacific
Equity Groups is cohort dependent and varies each year.
Regarding whether there is a set GPA score threshold for BDS and MB ChB entry - we would not
normally make an offer to applicants with a GPA below 5.00 in an Equity Group unless other
circumstances needed to be taken into consideration, in which case an application is made for a
variation to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor. As noted above, further information on the entry requirements
for the MB ChB and BDS programmes via the Graduate Māori or Graduate Indigenous Pacific Equity
Groups are publicly available online:
• MB ChB:
Guidelines for Admission
• BD
S: Guidelines for Admission
Were there any changes made due to COVID-19? (e.g. decreasing/increasing the
acceptance rate of Māori and Pacific students for BDS and MB ChB)
There were no changes made to acceptance rates or entry requirements for applicants via the
Graduate Māori or Graduate Indigenous Pacific Equity Groups for the BDS and MB ChB programme
as a result of COVID-19.
However, we note that for all students, the University of Otago has accounted for disruptions
created by COVID-19 by introducing grade increases for papers and/or assessments completed
under lockdown. These include:
• 5 mark increase to final grades for papers completed in Semester 1 2020;
• Final grades of 47, 48 or 49 bumped up to 50 (pass) for papers completed in Semester 2
2020;
• 5 mark increase to students in full year papers to each of their assessments completed in
Semester 1 2020; and
• 5 mark increase to eligible internal assessments completed or submitted between 18
August 2021 and 27 August 2021.
We note that these grade increases will have only been applied to Graduate category applicants who
studied at the University of Otago. Graduate category applicants from other universities may or may
not have had grade increases for papers and/or assessments completed under COVID-19 conditions.
If you are not satisfied with our response to your information request, section 28(3) of the Act
provides you with the right to ask an Ombudsman to investigate and review this response. However,
we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns with you first.
Yours sincerely
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
