Work in New Zealand as a General Practitioner

A General Practitioner uses their professional knowledge and skills to assess, diagnose and treat patients. A General Practitioner plans care around a patient’s medical condition, emotional state & refers to outside agencies or services as required. The General Practitioner is the link between the patient and other medical professionals, such as medical specialists or services.

According to the Australia/New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupation, the main duties of a General Practitioner may include:

• conducting examinations and questioning patients to determine the nature of disorders and illnesses, and recording patients' medical information
• ordering laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures, and interpreting findings to assist in diagnosis
• providing overall care for patients, and prescribing and administering treatments, medications and other remedial measures
• monitoring patients' progress and response to treatment
• advising on diet, exercise and other habits which aid prevention and treatment of disease and disorders
• referring patients to, and exchanging medical information with, specialist Medical Practitioners
• reporting births, deaths and notifiable diseases to government authorities
• arranging the admission of patients to hospitals

A need for GPs nationwide

There is an ongoing need for General Practitioners in New Zealand. General and Specialist practitioners are in high demand due to the growing general and aging population and also the expected high number of retire GP’s in the coming years. The shortage of doctors in New Zealand is nationwide.

Career path

Once you gain experience as a Registered General Practitioner, you may then progress to become a Senior GP, ie a self-employed contractor or operating your own practice.

General Practitioner are on LTSSL (Long term skill shortage skill ) list

The Long-Term Skill Shortage List is a list of skilled occupations that are in sustained shortage all over New Zealand.
For a General Practitioner, the LTSSL requirement is simply to hold NZ registration within a relevant provisional general, general, provisional vocational or vocational scope of practice with the Medical Council of New Zealand.

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Pay varies on the skills, experience and region of New Zealand where the doctor is practicing.

General practitioners earn between 70,000 – 212,000 depending on their level of experience and employment situation.

Do you have what it takes to be a General Practitioner in New Zealand?

The ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) in New Zealand lists the following for a Registered General Practitioner:

• a bachelor degree or higher qualification and at least one year of hospital-based training(ANZSCO Skill Level 1)
• Registration or licensing is required

Occupational Registration

General Practitioners in New Zealand are required to obtain registration from the Medical Council of New Zealand in order to practice and must apply and hold an annual practicing certificate.

Registration authority

MCNZ
Level 24
AON Centre
1 Willis Street
Wellington

Email [email protected]
Website https://www.mcnz.org.nz/

Some Useful links

• Careers website
• Occupation Outlook