Medical licensing for international medical graduates in Aotearoa New Zealand since 1849: overview and timeline.

Abstract

Aim: This paper aims to contextualise the current state of medical registration for international medical graduates (IMGs) in Aotearoa New Zealand by providing a historical overview of medical licensing policies for IMGs since 1849.

Method: This paper and accompanying timeline were prepared from a document analysis of 306 historical and current medical licensing policy documents and other grey literature, including parliamentary Acts and Bills, annual reports, workforce surveys and media reports.

Results: Medical licensing policies originated in the colonial era and have historically privileged doctors from the United Kingdom, Ireland and other Commonwealth countries. The New Zealand Registration Examination pathway for IMGs who did not qualify or work in accepted countries was established in the 1990s, although its origins can be seen in policies from as early as 1905.

Conclusion: Although medical licensing policies have been adapted over the past 175 years, these changes tend to follow a pattern of oscillation between stringency and leniency, rather than linear progression. As a result, there are striking similarities between contemporary and colonial medical licensing policies in the way IMGs are categorised and distinguished that could benefit from further clarification and consideration by policymakers.