Primary source verification of qualifications (EPIC)

You will be required to have your documents primary-source verified through EPIC  if you are:

• relying on international medical qualifications in your registration application. This includes doctors with primary medical degrees from Australian medical schools and with postgraduate qualifications from Australia-only vocational training providers;
• a first-time applicant for registration, and do not already, or have not in the past, held any other form of registration;
• currently registered with Council but are applying for a new scope of practice that relies on a qualification that has not been previously assessed by Council and is relied on to support that new registration application.

You will not need to submit the following qualifications to EPIC for verification if the criteria in the right hand column is met:

Provisional General (New Zealand / Australian graduate pathway) (REG2-B)

Note: Use of EPIC applies only to applicants along this pathway to registration who are relying on a primary medical degree conferred by an Australian medical school.

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.

General (New Zealand / Australian graduate pathway) (CHKL1)

Note: Use of EPIC applies only to applicants along the New Zealand / Australian graduate pathway who are relying on a primary medical degree conferred by an Australian medical school or who hold a primary medical degree conferred by a MCNZ-accredited medical school in New Zealand, but completed their internship in Australia

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Not required for applicants who hold a primary medical degree awarded by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
• Certificate of Medical Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Provisional General (Competent authority pathway) (CHKL2)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
• Confirmation of completion of internship / one year of general medical experience issued by the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom or Medical Council of Ireland.
  • Certificate of Medical Registration with the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom or Medical Council of Ireland may be used as alternative evidence of the completion of internship in the UK/Ireland.

Provisional General (Examinations pathway) (CHKL3)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.

Provisional General (Comparable health system pathway) (CHKL4)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
• Certificate or license indicating current full or General Medical Registration in the comparable health system you have worked in during the last 48 months.
  • If you are (lawfully) not required to hold registration with a regulatory authority because you are participating in a recognised American or Canadian training program, a letter from the training institution confirming satisfactory participation in the training program should be EPIC verified.
• Evidence of completion of your specialist training, if applicable
  • This would include evidence that you have obtained a Specialist Qualification (upload as a Specialist Qualification) following a formal period of postgraduate training. Upload this document to EPIC if you are relying on it as an exception to complying with this pathway’s active clinical practice requirement (i.e., if you hold a PGQ in General Practice/Family Medicine but do not have 33/48 months of general practice experience completed immediately prior to your application for registration). Please contact MCNZ if you are unsure if this applies to you.

Provisional General (Australian General Registrant pathway) (CHKL7)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
• Certificate of Medical Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Not required for a doctor who holds a primary medical degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.

Special Purpose (Visiting expert/teaching) (VEX1)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
• Postgraduate Qualification (PGQ)
  • The postgraduate medical qualification must have been awarded at the end of a period of specialist training. This would include evidence that you have obtained a Specialist Qualification (upload as a Specialist Qualification) or evidence of completion of a period of formal Postgraduate Training (upload as a Postgraduate Medical Education Credential) in the specialty.

Special Purpose (Teleradiology) (CHKL20)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
• Approved postgraduate qualification in teleradiology (see https://www.mcnz.org.nz/get-registered/registration-policy/special-purpose-scope-policy/teleradiology/ for the list of approved qualifications)
  • Upload as a Specialist Qualification in EPIC.

Special Purpose (Research) (CHKL12)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.

Special Purpose (Locum tenens) (CHKL13)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
• Approved postgraduate qualification for locum tenens registration (see https://www.mcnz.org.nz/assets/Policies/List-of-approved-qualifications-for-locum-tenens-specialist-appointments.pdf for the list of approved qualifications)
  • Upload as a Specialist Qualification in EPIC.

Vocational Pathway (Australasian graduates) (VOC2)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school
  • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree

Provisional Vocational Pathway (International medical graduates) (VOC3)

Please refer to the ‘Primary source verification – EPIC’ section of the guide to providing a complete application for registration within a vocational scope of practice.

The guide can be found here

Special Purpose (Postgraduate training) (CHKL11)

• Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
  • You can use an alternate graduation document as evidence of the Primary Medical Degree
• Certificate(s) of Medical Registration in applicant's home/sponsor country
• Postgraduate Qualification (PGQ)
  • PGQs include evidence of Postgraduate Training (Postgraduate Medical Education Credential) and Specialist Qualifications.
  • upload to EPIC only if you are relying upon a PGQ in support of your application for registration (option C).