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Are there any scholarships available for higher education in New Zealand for someone with an MBBS and postgraduate medical qualifications?

31 Aug 2026 · Answered by Disha Roy Choudhury · 2 min read
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Yes, MBBS holders have several funding routes in New Zealand. Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships cover full tuition and a living allowance for developing country students. Auckland's Doctoral Scholarships pay about NZD 35,468 yearly, while Otago offers awards like the Richard Stewart Scholarship, worth around 25,000 dollars, for surgical research.

Disha Roy Choudhury
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You have real funding options in New Zealand as an MBBS holder, whether you want academic postgraduate study, clinical fellowship training, or medical council registration. Support comes largely from government scholarships, university specific awards, and specialty training grants. Your best route depends on whether you are a domestic or international applicant and your specific career goal.

Key Scholarships For Medical Graduates

ScholarshipProviderSupport
Manaaki New Zealand ScholarshipsNZ GovernmentFull tuition, living allowance, establishment grants, insurance
Doctoral ScholarshipsUniversity of AucklandFull tuition plus a stipend of about NZD 35,468 a year
Richard Stewart ScholarshipUniversity of OtagoWorth around 25,000 dollars for surgical research and advanced training
Frances G Cotter and Emily Johnston ScholarshipsUniversity of OtagoSupport for medical research by practitioners and Commonwealth graduates

If You Want To Practise Rather Than Only Research

If your goal is clinical practice rather than academic research or a non clinical master's, you will need to register with the Medical Council of New Zealand, which typically requires passing the NZREX Clinical exam and an IELTS Academic score of 7.5 overall. Manaaki Scholarships generally require one to two years of prior work experience and an agreement to return home after completion. International postgraduate medical and health science tuition typically runs NZD 35,000 to 70,000 or more per year, so a scholarship or stipend matters significantly.

My Advice

Clarify your goal first, since academic research, clinical fellowship training, and medical registration each point you toward different funding and different requirements. If registration is part of your plan, start your NZREX and IELTS preparation early, since these run on their own timelines separate from any scholarship application.

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