Prevocational medical training

Prevocational medical training is a two-year programme undertaken by newly-registered doctors (interns) who are graduates of accredited New Zealand and Australian medical schools or who have passed the New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX Clinical). The training programme, training providers, Prevocational Educational Supervisors and Clinical Supervisors are all overseen by the Council.

Prevocational medical training is undertaken by graduates of accredited New Zealand and Australian medical schools and doctors who have passed the New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX Clinical). Training takes two years across postgraduate year 1 and postgraduate year 2, with interns completing a series of 13-week clinical attachments, developing and executing a professional development plan and achieving learning outcomes in the ‘New Zealand Curriculum Framework for Prevocational Medical Training’ (NZCF).

To implement the prevocational medical training programme, the Council undertakes accreditation of training providers and the clinical attachments. The Council is also responsible for the programme itself. Where necessary, it will make changes to the programme to ensure high quality learning, which in turn leads to improved patient safety and doctor performance. The current requirements for the training programme were introduced in 2014 and implemented in 2015.

  • PGY1/PGY2 & NZREX training requirements

    28 April 2019

    All graduates of New Zealand and Australian accredited medical schools undertake prevocational medical training, also known as the intern training programme. It is also undertaken by doctors who have obtained registration based on a pass in the New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX Clinical). Training for interns spans two years across postgraduate year 1 and postgraduate year 2.

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