Maybe you're halfway through a science degree after missing out from HSFY. Maybe you finished a degree a few years ago and Medicine stayed in your head. Either way, the door you're looking for is graduate entry Medicine, and in NZ it runs through three schools for 2028 entry, each with different rules. Otago's general graduate pathway made 51 Medicine offers for the 2026 intake, and at least 32 in each of the five years it reports.
The rules decide more than people expect. The degree that counts, the papers that carry the most weight, and the test you sit in each year all shape your result, and good grades can still arrive too late or in the wrong place if those calls go wrong.
How does graduate entry Medicine work in NZ?
You complete a bachelor's degree, then apply for Medicine on the strength of that degree. Otago and Auckland take graduates into the same medical degree their first-year students enter. Waikato's new school opens in 2028 and takes graduates only.
| Otago MB ChB | Auckland MBChB (2028 entry) | Waikato MD (from 2028) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which degree | Your first degree, completed within three years of applying | A degree, postgraduate degree or diploma completed within five years, normally in the minimum time | A bachelor's degree, or the final year of one (indicative) |
| Grades needed to be considered | Weighted GPA of at least 5 across the qualifying degree | GPA of 6.0 (B+) | B average (indicative) |
| Test | UCAT ANZ in the year you apply, as a threshold | Casper in the year you apply | GAMSAT: 50 overall, no section under 50 |
| Interview | None in the Graduate category | MMI for applicants at GPA 6.0 or above | Yes, format not published |
| How you're ranked | Weighted GPA | MMI 50%, Casper 50% | Not yet published |
| Applying | 1 July to 13 August in the 2026 round | Closes 1 July 2027 for 2028 entry | Opens mid 2027 |
Sources: Otago's Medicine guidelines for admission, Auckland's MBChB entry requirements, and Waikato's New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine and GAMSAT pages, all read on 11 October 2026.
Otago's Graduate category
Otago's rules for graduates are strict about timing and generous about subject. To be eligible you need a degree from a New Zealand university, completed within three years of the date you apply. The qualifying degree is the first university degree you were awarded, and Otago gives no preference to any degree or major. The average across all papers in that degree has to reach a weighted GPA of 5.
You also need a UCAT ANZ result from the year you apply. For 2027 entry, Otago's threshold for graduate applicants was the 20th percentile in Verbal Reasoning and the 10th percentile in Situational Judgement. Clear those and the UCAT stops counting. A UCAT you sat in an earlier year won't do, because the result has to come from the application year.
How Otago ranks you
Otago ranks graduate applicants on a weighted GPA from the qualifying degree. Its calculation takes your best 300 level papers first, up to 120 points, then your best 100 and 200 level papers, pooled together and picked by grade, up to 240 points. Levels are weighted 0.5 for 100 level, 1.0 for 200 level and 1.5 for 300 level, and the result is capped at 9.00. A grade at 300 level moves your score three times as much as the same grade at 100 level, which is why your final year matters most.
Two summer rules catch people out. Otago includes Summer School papers you completed as part of your degree before the application period. From 2027 entry, though, Pre-Christmas Summer School papers taken in the year you apply are left out of the calculation, according to Otago's admissions FAQ.
Applying, and what happens after
You apply in eVision during your final year, choosing Health Sciences Undergraduate Professional Programmes and then Medicine. The 2026 window ran from 1 July to 13 August, with no late applications. Otago sends outcomes by 18 December, and successful graduates join second year the following year.
If you're missing any of the seven HSFY papers or their equivalents, Otago may give you a prescribed course: you complete the missing papers first, at the first attempt and at the grades it sets, and your place is deferred a year while you do. Repeat applications within your three-year window are allowed, so a near miss in your final year isn't the end of your Otago chances.
Otago has about 322 domestic Medicine places for 2027 across all categories. Up to 10 percent go to the Alternative category first. Of the rest, as near as possible to 70 percent go to HSFY applicants and the balance to graduates.
Auckland's graduate entry from 2028
Auckland is changing its selection for 2028 entry, and the change suits a lot of graduates. You need a degree, postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma from a New Zealand university, completed normally in the minimum time and no more than five years before you apply, with a GPA of 6.0 (B+). Applicants who reach 6.0 are offered an interview, according to the entry requirements on Auckland's MBChB page.
From there, grades stop deciding. Final ranking is 50 percent your MMI score, with a minimum threshold, and 50 percent Casper, the situational judgement test you sit in the year you apply. The UCAT is gone for 2028 entry. Auckland's May 2026 announcement also says its MMIs moved to a recorded format from 2026, where you answer timed, pre-recorded questions.
A few rules to plan around. Applications for 2028 entry close on 1 July 2027. If you're finishing your degree in the application year, Auckland needs your final results by 30 November. You can apply once in the Graduate category for each qualifying programme you complete. Depending on what you studied, you may also need some or all of Auckland's first-year courses before you start Part II. Auckland has 317 domestic MBChB places each year, and it doesn't publish how many go to graduates.
Waikato's graduate school
Waikato's New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine runs a four-year Doctor of Medicine, starting in 2028 with an intake of 120. Applications open in mid 2027. Waikato says graduates from any field with a B average can apply, and that the exact entry requirements will be published once the programme is accredited. Until then, everything it has published is indicative.
The GAMSAT detail is firm, though. Waikato needs a score of at least 50 overall, with no section below 50, and it doesn't rank applicants on the GAMSAT beyond that. For the 2028 intake you have to sit the March 2027 GAMSAT at the latest, and registrations for that sitting open in November 2026 and close in January 2027. Eligible applicants then go on to an interview. Our post on Waikato Medical School covers the rest of what's confirmed.
If your degree is older: the Alternative category
Otago's three-year window closes for a lot of people. If your first degree was completed more than three years ago, the Graduate category is no longer open to you, and Otago's Alternative category becomes the route. It's for domestic applicants who aren't eligible for any other category and who hold a New Zealand degree, a master's or doctorate, an overseas degree completed at least three years before applying, or relevant health professional experience. Selection is holistic, with an interview, and you can apply through it once. Applications run from 1 April to 1 May, and there's no UCAT.
How many graduates get into Otago Medicine?
Otago's Admissions Statistics 2026 report gives these figures for the Graduate category, general pathway:
| Intake | Applications | Offers | Accepted | Lowest weighted GPA offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 247 | 36 | 31 | 8.59 |
| 2023 | 269 | 39 | 26 | 8.43 |
| 2024 | 235 | 49 | 31 | 8.13 |
| 2025 | 220 | 32 | 25 | 8.15 |
| 2026 | 284 | 51 | 41 | 8.12 |
Two cautions. The 2024 and 2025 minimums include waiting list offers; the lowest first-round offers were 8.90 and 8.66. All of these scores come from Otago's old calculation, which could go above 9.00, and Otago says you can't compare them with scores under the new method. Equity pathways have their own numbers in the same report. We go through what the general pathway figures mean for you in Otago Medical School's acceptance rate.
What about Dentistry?
Otago also runs a Graduate category for Dentistry, with no UCAT, a Zoom interview as a threshold, and ranking on the weighted academic score. It's narrower than Medicine: 242 general pathway graduate applications for the 2026 intake produced 15 offers, according to Otago's BDS statistics. Our guide to getting into Dentistry in New Zealand has the detail.
A plan for each year of your degree
Most of the work happens years before you apply. Here's the order we'd follow for a three-year degree aimed at 2028 or later entry.
- First year. Pick a degree you'll score well in for three years. Look ahead at the 300 level papers it leads to, because those carry the most weight at Otago.
- Second year. Choose 200 level papers that open the 300 level papers you'd do best in. Strong 200 level grades can push weak first-year grades out of Otago's pool.
- Before your final year. Decide which schools you're aiming at. Waikato's March GAMSAT registration runs from November to January. UCAT ANZ bookings for 2026 opened on 3 March and closed on 15 May, so expect a similar window in your application year.
- Final year. Protect your 300 level grades. Sit the UCAT ANZ for Otago (the 2026 test window ran from 1 July to 5 August) and Casper for Auckland. Apply to Auckland by 1 July and to Otago in its window, which ran from 1 July to 13 August in 2026.
- December. Otago's outcomes arrive by 18 December. If it doesn't go your way, check how many years you have left in each school's window before you decide your next move.
The UCAT ANZ booking page lists the dates for each cycle. For how the graduate route compares with HSFY and Auckland's first-year entry, see our guide to getting into Medicine in New Zealand.
Graduate entry rewards the person who reads the rules early and builds three years around them. Your grades still have to be strong, but a plan decides whether they land where Otago, Auckland and Waikato count them.
FAQ
Can I do graduate entry Medicine in NZ with any degree?
Yes, within each school's rules. Otago gives no preference to degree or major, Auckland accepts a degree, postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma from a New Zealand university, and Waikato says graduates from any field can apply.
Do I need the UCAT for graduate entry Medicine?
For Otago, yes, sat in the year you apply. Auckland uses Casper instead from 2028 entry, and Waikato uses the GAMSAT.
How long does graduate entry Medicine take?
At Otago, graduates join the MB ChB in second year, and the degree takes five years from there. At Auckland, graduates start at Part II of a six-year programme, plus any first-year courses they're asked to complete. Waikato's MD is four years.
Can I apply more than once?
At Otago, repeat applications are allowed within three years of finishing your qualifying degree. At Auckland you can apply once in the Graduate category for each qualifying programme.
Not sure which door is open to you, or what to do this year? Take the free 60-second graduate entry check and get a roadmap for your stage.
Cutline is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Otago, the University of Auckland or the University of Waikato. Rules are from each university's published entry pages, and figures are from Otago's Admissions Statistics 2026 reports (April 2026), checked 11 October 2026. Admission rules change every year, so check the official pages for the year you're applying.
