Rural health

Are you curious about rural health and do you want to make a difference to the health of your communities? We provide our future students with rural training opportunities. You’ll gain exposure to the range of health careers available in rural areas, get insight into rural practice and understand the differences in supporting healthcare needs in rural and urban communities.

A career in rural health can be really rewarding and offers experiences typically not found in urban areas. As a student, you will experience enhanced coordination and cooperation between professionals from different disciplines.

If you are living in a rural or regional area and are considering a career in health you may be eligible to apply to study through our Regional Rural Admission scheme (RRAS). We want to encourage future students to train and return to their rural or regional areas to work where they can use their education and skills. We offer places in the following programmes for students of regional or rural origin to ensure equitable access. Specific entry requirements apply.

• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB)
• Bachelor of Optometry (BOptom)
• Bachelor of Medical Imaging (Hons)
• Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)

Our medical programme offers a rural stream to students who
are interested in rural medicine. You can undertake additional activities and tutorials and get early exposure to clinical medicine in rural settings.
Activities range from farm stays and rural GP visits to spending time working
in a rural hospital.

Students in our health programmes have the opportunity to undertake rural placements where they can engage with rural communities, form connections with community health practitioners and learn what it is like to practice in a rural setting.
Rural communities offer health students a fantastic hands-on clinical learning experience in a supportive, innovative and patient-centred environment. You will have greater exposure to a wide range of medical conditions where you can build your confidence in delivering patient care. You’ll also learn about Hauora Māori and the differences in regional and rural healthcare. You’ll test yourself in ways you may not have expected. We work closely with health providers in regional and rural locations to provide the highest quality training experience. Many of our clinical placements take place at our clinical campuses and sites located across the North Island.

Our renowned regional-rural programmes in Northland and the Bay of Plenty bring together undergraduate students from different health disciplines to learn in a rural environment. As a student in these programmes you have the opportunity to gain clinical experience in a rural setting and develop innovative ways to assess the care of patients and families in their own communities under the guidance of local healthcare professionals and academic staff.

Starting in 2025, our medical students will have the opportunity to spend a full year working in rural communities to gain experience on placements at rural general practices and hospitals and to be mentored by community health providers and visiting specialists.

*Limited spaces – currently only available for MBChB students.