22 November 2023
By email:
[FYI request #24519 email]
Kia ora Jay
I refer to your information request dated 21 October 2023 made under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act). You have requested:
“-
Number of alternative entry medicine applicants for each year within the last 5 years.
-
Number of alternative entry medicine applicants invited for an interview each year
within the last 5 years.
-
Number of successful interviewees (those offered a place in medicine) for each year
within the last 5 years.
-
Since you have established that GPA alone does not affect an applicants success into
medicine via alternative entry, could I please request information on how the applicants
are ranked or sorted to be invited for an interview.
-
Successful applicants prior learning levels for each of the last 5 years. That is, number of
successful applicants who had a Bachelors degree, successful applicants with a Masters,
successful applicants with a PhD and successful applicants with no formal prior
education.”
Additionally, in your second request dated 30 October 2023, you requested:
“-
What percentage of the total seats available for alternative entry, for each of the last
five years, are invited for an interview via alternative entry? (As in, if 10% of the total
medical cohort come from alternative entry, if the number of applicants is less than the
10% threshold, does everyone get an interview who applied?)
-
What percentage of the total seats available for each of the last five years are
successfully filled by alternative entry?”
Please see below our response to your requests.
1.
Number of alternative entry medicine applicants for each year with the last 5 years
Number of Alternative Applicants for MB ChB Programme
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
111
118
121
112
113
Please note that deferred applications are not included in this data.
2.
Number of alternative entry medicine applicants invited for an interview each year within
the last 5 years
Number of Alternative Applicants Invited for an Interview
for Entry into MB ChB Programme
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
29
38
27
45
58
3.
Number of successful interviewees (those offered a place in medicine) for each year within
the last 5 years
Please note that the data below is for Alternative applicants only and excludes those enrolled
in prescribed courses of study.
Number of Successful Interviewees Offered a Place in MB ChB Programme
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
12
11
7
8
16
Number of Accepted Offers into MB ChB Programme
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
12
10
6
7
14
4.
Since you have established that GPA alone does not affect an applicants success into
medicine via alternative entry, could I please request information on how the applicants are
ranked or sorted to be invited for an interview
The eligible applicants are reviewed by a panel of at least four trained reviewers
independently. The reviewers have undergone training through written materials and in-
person with the Associate Dean (Medical Admissions) regarding the criteria for their ranking
on the domains of interest (written communication, motivation, academic aptitude, and life
skills and experience). Based on this assessment, the reviewer provides an overall score from
0 to 7. The applicants are ranked by this score, and two applicants are offered an interview for
every one likely place offered in the programme. This process and the ranking are ratified by
the Medical Admissions Committee according to the Terms of Reference.
5.
Successful applicants prior learning levels for each of the last 5 years. That is, number of
successful applicants who had a Bachelors degree, successful applicants with a Masters,
successful applicants with a PhD and successful applicants with no formal prior education
Alternative category assessments are holistic, and while academic record is an assessed factor,
a formal score calculation is not made. We do not hold academic data for Alternative category
applications on which we could report. We therefore decline this part of your request under
18(g) of the Act on the basis that we do not hold the information requested.
2
6.
What percentage of the total seats available for alternative entry, for each of the last five
years, are invited for an interview via alternative entry? (As in, if 10% of the total medical
cohort come from alternative entry, if the number of applicants is less than the 10%
threshold, does everyone get an interview who applied?)
There is not a fixed number of places allocated for the alternative category each year.
Additionally it is not necessarily the case that all applicants would be interviewed, even if the
number of applicants was less than the designated spaces. Applications are assessed prior to
being invited to interview. We therefore decline this part of your request under 18(g) of the
Act on the basis that we do not hold the information requested.
7.
What percentage of the total seats available for each of the last five years are successfully
filled by alternative entry?
Total Number of Students Enrolled into MB ChB Programme
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
290
292
290
294
289
Percentage of Total Number Enrolled into MB ChB Programme Filled by
Alternative Applicants
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
4%
3%
2%
2%
5%
Please note that these percentages do not include those enrolled in prescribed courses of
study.
I trust that this information will be helpful. In the above cases, we consider that good reasons exist
for withholding information, and this is not outweighed by other considerations which would make
it desirable, in the public interest, to make the information available.
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.
Ngā mihi
Jenny Shaw
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
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