General Information

We recruit for Resident Medical Officer (RMO) positions throughout the year once we are aware a vacancy exists. It is difficult for us to know if a vacancy will exist beyond 3 months in advance but in all instances, we will advertise the position once it's confirmed available. You can find our current vacancies listed on our careers website at https://capitalhealth.careercentre.net.nz

We have an integrated recruitment process through the three District Hospitals in the greater Wellington region (Capital and Coast, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa) This means that doctors starting at one hospital will also have the chance to rotate through the other two, giving access to a greater variety of runs. If you have a preference to be at a specific hospital, please state this in your covering letter.

We are often flooded with candidates expressing an interest in our opportunities but the best advice we can offer you is that you check out our careers website for the current vacancies. If you can't see a position you're interested in at the time you can register for 'Job Alerts' to keep informed of our opportunities that best match your interests.

All interested applicants need to submit a formal application online to ensure that we run a fair and transparent recruitment process. As mentioned in our adverts, emailed applications will not be accepted for consideration.

The RMO rotation dates in New Zealand are different to many parts of the world, with our RMO training year beginning in January/February each year.

We will always indicate a start date within the advertisement so that candidates know when they'd need start for service needs. On rare occasions we consider candidates that may require a delayed start but these are managed on a case-by-case basis and need to be discussed with us.

We offer a variety of positions and are subject to availability. 

First year (PGY1) House Officer

First Year House Officers are allocated to our District Hospitals via The Advance Choice of Employment (ACE) programme which assists New Zealand and Australian graduates in gaining employment following their degree.

This does mean that PGY1 positions are not readily available however in instances where a vacancy does arise, we will advertise the position on our careers website.

Second year (PGY2) House Officer

These positions are for House Officers that have completed at least 12 months in runs accredited PGY1/F1 equivalent training.

It's important that you meet the registration requirements set out by the Medical Council. For information about your eligibility visit http://www.mcnz.org.nz. They also have a handy registration self-assessment tool that can help determine your eligibility.

Senior House Officer

Some services offer designated Senior House Officer positions that sit specifically within a service. These positions have their own application requirements depending on the service but at the very least, you would need to have completed two (2) years as a House Officer in accredited runs. Our 4 separate designated SHO positions in the Wellington Region are like Junior Registrar positions within Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Emergency Medicine and Anaesthesia and are non-rotational so do not rotate to any other specialities. Doctors who have one or two rotations experience (or more) in Emergency Medicine are encouraged to apply for Senior House Officer positions.

Registrar

We have a number of opportunities for Registrars within our hospitals. You would need to have completed two (2) years as a House Officer, in accredited runs to be eligible for these positions. If you are wanting a placement in Internal Medicine, Surgery or Psychiatry we would welcome Registrar applications from PGY3+ doctors. Positions in Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care are highly sought after, and the majority of Registrar placements are given to NZ Trainees.  

The 20 Districts of New Zealand have a national agreement whereby all positions that start at the beginning of the RMO training year January/February), will follow the below timelines.

For fairness and transparency, we cannot advertise or offer prior to the dates listed below.

Working in New Zealand

For Overseas candidates

Registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) and a valid work visa

We have a Candidate Care Coordinator here in the districts who will guide successful candidates through the MCNZ process and be able to provide employer supplementary forms to support your work visa application.

The registration process can take up to 3 months. Please visit MCNZ’s and Immigration New Zealand website for further information. 

EPIC

MCNZ has a primary source verification process using the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates’ Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (ECFMG’s EPIC) service. You will be required to upload your primary medical degree and full registration certificate to be verified through EPIC. Before MCNZ will start processing your application, you must have had your documents verified by EPIC therefore please start this process as soon as possible (at least 3 months prior to commencement date).  Ensure that you’ve selected MCNZ to receive a verification report.  If you have would like more information about primary-source verification, please see MCNZs website or EPIC’s FAQ webpage. Applications for registration will be considered incomplete until EPIC verification has been received.