5 April 2024
By email
: [FYI request #25768 email]
Tēnā koe SS
I refer to your information request dated 17 February 2024 made under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act). You have requested information in relation to entry to the University of Otago’s
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme via Advanced Standing in 2024.
Further to our email of 22 March 2024, please see below the information you have requested.
1. The total number of domestic student applications received
2. The total number of domestic student applications invited for an interview
3. The total number of domestic student applications declined
4. The total number of domestic student applications who received an offer
Subject to the following comments, please see the below table which shows the number of domestic
student applications and the number of domestic student applicants who were invited for an
interview to the 2024 BDS programme via Advanced Standing:
• we note that there are no guaranteed places for entry to the BDS programme via Advanced
Standing. This is a very competitive category for which the University receives a large number
of applications and offers to successful applicants are dependent on there being a space in the
third year of the BDS programme. Confirmation of whether there is a space available is usually
not known until the results of special examinations are finalised in early February the year of
entry to the programme. If there are no spaces available, there will be no places offered for
admission to the third year of the BDS programme via Advanced Standing.
• please note that for privacy and student wellbeing reasons, the University’s standard practice
is not to report on information that relates to fewer than five individuals. Where the numbers
are very low, there is a risk that the identity of those individuals can be determined/inferred.
We therefore withhold this information pursuant to section 9(2)(a) of the Act, in order to
protect the privacy of natural persons. As there were fewer than five applicants to receive an
offer to the 2024 BDS programme via Advanced Standing, we have withheld the actual
number of applicants to receive offers. We have also withheld the total number of
applications declined, as this would inadvertently reveal the number of applicants to receive
offers.
Entry to the third year of the BDS
programme via Advanced Standing, 2024
Number of applications received
18
Number of applicants invited for an interview
6
Number of applications declined
Withheld
Number of applicants to receive an offer
Withheld (<5)
5. The lowest average academic scores for domestic students who received offers
As noted above, the University’s standard practice is not to report on information that relates to fewer
than five individuals. As there were fewer than five domestic applicants to receive offers to the 2024
BDS programme via Advanced Standing, we have determined that it is necessary to withhold the
minimum average academic score to receive an offer, pursuant to section 9(2)(a) of the Act.
6. Details of the ranking criteria used to accept or decline applications
7. The lowest rank to receive an offer, based on the criteria in question 6
Domestic applicants for admission to the BDS programme via Advanced Standing must:
• Be a New Zealand citizen (or a citizen of the Cook Islands, Tokelau, or Niue), or New Zealand
resident (holding a valid residence-class visa), or an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
• Demonstrate health-related professional experience in a relevant field to a standard
acceptable to the Dental Admissions Committee; and
• Hold a degree in (a) Dentistry awarded from a university outside of New Zealand or Australia;
or (b) Medicine awarded from a New Zealand or Australian University; and
• Have provided a current curriculum vitae, certified academic transcript, certificate of good
standing from the applicant’s most recent registration authority, and have met the minimum
academic standards, as determined by the Dental Admissions Committee, in the course of
student on which the application is based.
Selection of applicants who have met the above criteria will be based on academic merit and an
interview, as noted in clause 2 of
the Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS).
As selection of successful applications is made following the processes set out in the Regulations, we
have no further information to provide on the ranking criteria used to accept or decline applications.
In terms of your request for the “lowest rank to receive an offer” to the 2024 BDS programme via
Advanced Standing, even if we were in a position to provide further information, we note that as there
were fewer than five individuals to receive an offer to the 2024 BDS programme via the Advanced
Standing, we would determine it necessary to withhold this information pursuant to section 9(2)(a) of
the Act, in order to protect the privacy of natural persons.
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
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
