13 October 2022
Matthew O’Connor
By email:
[FYI request #20562 email]
Dear Matthew
I refer to your information request dated 15 September 2022 made under the Official Information
Act 1982. You have requested information in relation to the University’s Bachelor of Medicine and
Bachelor of Surgery programme (MB ChB).
Please see below our responses to each of your questions.
1. How many placement positions have been available to students in the MB ChB
programme at your tertiary education institution annually over the past five years?
Halfway through Year 3 of the programme, the MB ChB class is divided into approximate thirds for
Years 4 – 6. Students are split between the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago,
Christchurch and University of Otago, Wellington.
During these years, students learn through clinical exposure to patients across a wide range of sites
and medical disciplines. Groups of students rotate through specific context-based block modules in
hospital, community, in-patient and out-patient settings, both urban and rural. Students can also
apply to spend their fifth year in the Rural Medical Immersion Programme, which entails being part
of a small group based in one of six rural centres. The final year (Year 6) is named the Trainee Intern
year, and introduces students in a gradual manner to full responsibility for patient care, while still
under continued academic supervision. While primarily located in one of the three base campuses
mentioned above, students will also spend time away in a smaller hospital in the region e.g.,
Invercargill, Nelson, Palmerston North.
Placements are arranged for all students. Therefore, the number of placements available to students
is the same as the number of students enrolled in the MB ChB programme:
Number of students enrolled in the MB ChB programme
Year Level
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
400
282
298
287
282
297
280
500
295
274
310
288
287
293
600
263
284
266
305
294
291
2. How many students have attained a MB ChB degree from your tertiary education
institution annually over the past five years?
Please see the below table which shows the number of students who completed the MB ChB degree
over the last five years. Please note that this data includes all students who were eligible to
graduate, and may include students who deferred graduation.
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
262
284
211
347
293
3. What is the number of students who have undertaken a placement as part of a MB ChB
degree through your tertiary education institution, annually, over the past five years?
As noted above, clinical placements are undertaken as part of Years 4 – 6 of the MB ChB
programme. All students enrolled are required to undertake placements. Therefore, the number of
students who have undertaken placements equals the number of students enrolled in the MB ChB
programme across these years:
Number of students enrolled in the MB ChB programme
Year Level
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
400
282
298
287
282
297
280
500
295
274
310
288
287
293
600
263
284
266
305
294
291
I trust that this information will be helpful.
Yours sincerely
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar