Waikato Medical School Clinical Training Regions Confirmed for 2028

New Zealand’s University of Waikato will launch its graduate-entry medical school in 2028, with clinical training split across five regions to bolster the country’s health workforce. Starting with 120 students annually, the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine will require one year of on-campus study followed by three years of clinical placements in Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki/Whanganui, Hawke’s Bay, and Nelson/Marlborough. Each region includes key hospitals and surrounding communities, such as Waikato Hospital in North Waikato and Tauranga Hospital in Western Bay of Plenty, ensuring students gain hands-on experience in diverse healthcare settings. Health Minister Simeon Brown emphasized the program’s focus on retaining doctors in underserved areas, noting that local training increases the likelihood of long-term practice in those communities. The curriculum integrates hospital-based, primary care, and community health training, a model proven effective internationally. Brown highlighted the initiative’s role in addressing long-term shortages in primary care, particularly for students from regional or rural backgrounds who can complete most training locally. A nationwide distributed clinical placement network will coordinate opportunities across New Zealand’s three medical schools—Waikato, Auckland, and Otago—to expand training capacity. Health New Zealand collaborated with these universities to develop the network, ensuring students access a broader range of clinical settings nationwide. This approach aims to strengthen the health workforce by aligning education with regional needs, particularly in rural areas where shortages persist. Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey announced the creation of Community Clinical Learning Centres in smaller towns to support rural training. These centers align with the government’s rural training hubs, which combine educational placements, pathways, and pastoral support to grow the frontline health workforce. Doocey stressed that training locally increases the chances of health professionals staying in rural communities, benefiting the one in five New Zealanders who live there. The initiative marks a significant step in New Zealand’s efforts to build a homegrown health workforce, with a focus on regional connectivity and long-term sustainability. By embedding students in communities early, the program aims to address critical gaps in healthcare access while fostering a new generation of doctors committed to serving New Zealand’s diverse populations.