Lack of training places and the difficulty of running a two-tier system led Health Workforce New Zealand to counsel against establishing a graduate-level medical school to ease the country's doctor shortage, HWNZ executive chairman Prof Des Gorman says.
The Otago Daily Times requested a copy of the group's 61-page report prepared for Health Minister Tony Ryall. It was completed in March but had not been released previously.
Establishing a graduate-level programme is seen as a way to ease the doctor shortage, partly because of evidence people who trained later were more likely to practise in their own country.
At 2.2 doctors per 1000 people, New Zealand was below the OECD average of 3.1 and it was predicted the situation would get worse, the report said.
In addition, New Zealand relied on overseas-trained doctors more than "almost any other jurisdiction".
It was hoped graduate training would lure people from a wider range of educational and social backgrounds, the report said.
On cost, it was found graduate-level training was cheaper, but only if the student's undergraduate degree was not counted, Prof Gorman said.
A key concern was availability of training places in hospitals, which were already in demand.
It was confusing having groups of students learning at different levels, and this caused trouble in at least one Australian hospital where it was tried, Prof Gorman said.
Benefits of graduate-level training, which is common overseas, were marginal and could be achieved by initiatives at medical schools, Prof Gorman said.
He noted the group's view was not unanimous, with some contending the country did need a graduate school.
