- 2023/2024 growth – The number of registered
doctors rose by 3.4 percent, from 19,344 to
20,010 - International medical
graduates made up 71 percent of new registrations, a 16
percent increase in registrations from the previous
year - NZ trained doctors accounted
for 29 percent of new registrations, a slight decrease of
4.5 percent from the number registered the previous
year
Overseas-trained doctors made up
more than 70 percent of new registrations in New Zealand in
the last year, while the home-grown medical workforce is
shrinking.
Data released by the Medical Council showed
1318 international medical graduates registered in the year
to the end of June, up 16 percent on the year
before.
That was more than twice as many New
Zealand-trained doctors (535), who accounted for just 29
percent of new registrations, a fall of 4.5
percent.
The Medical Council said overseas doctors
currently made up more than 43 percent of New Zealand’s
medical workforce, the highest proportion among comparable
countries.
“The council remains committed to ensuring
high-quality healthcare for all of Aotearoa New Zealand
through carefully balanced registration pathways that uphold
rigourous standards while supporting workforce growth. The
council’s model for integrating IMGs [international medical
graduates] is recognised internationally as among the most
flexible and supportive, setting a benchmark for comparable
developed countries.”
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However, only 60 percent of
foreign doctors were still practising after one year, and
just one in four remained after a decade.
“We
recognise that this challenging retention rate affects
senior medical officers who support IMGs as they integrate
into practice. To address this, the Medical Council is
working with employers to improve IMG integration and
retention through enhanced support, induction, and
understanding of the local context.”
Registrations for
new doctors overall had bounced back since Covid-19, with a
9.5 percent increase in the last
year.
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