30 OCTOBER NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 3793

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS—continued

THE MEDICAL COUNCIL OF NEW ZEALAND

The Medical Council of New Zealand, a body corporate, is established under the provisions of the Medical Practitioners Act 1968, and has powers and functions relating to the registration and control of medical practitioners.

1. The Medical Register

The Medical Register contains the names, qualifications, and addresses of all persons who are registered as medical practitioners or who are conditionally registered as at 30 June of the year to which the register relates.

It does not contain entries relating to persons who have been granted either probationary or temporary certificates issued under the provisions of the Act.

2. Conditional Registration

A person who is conditionally registered may practise as a medical practitioner only in a hospital or institution approved by the Council.

3. Registration as a Medical Practitioner

A person who is registered as a medical practitioner (fully registered) may practise free of the restrictions placed on a person who is conditionally registered.

4. Conditionally Registered Interns

Every person who is conditionally registered and who wishes to become registered as a medical practitioner must satisfy the Council that he or she has completed at least 12 months service as a conditionally registered intern in a resident medical capacity in a hospital or institution approved by the Council for the purpose and that he or she has acquired experience of a kind approved by the Council or has otherwise acquired comparable experience.

Such approved experience must include three months in a surgical position where training is received in basic surgical principles and three months in a medical post where there is a substantial content of general medicine. The remaining six months may be undertaken in either medical or surgical positions, and may be in more specialised branches of medicine or surgery. Applicants wishing to rely on comparable experience must set out in writing full details of previous activities which are relevant to the application.

5. Provisional Certificate

Pending consideration of an application for registration by the Council a provisional certificate may be issued. This certificate entitles the person to whom the certificate relates to practise as a medical practitioner subject to any endorsement as to the extent to which the applicant may practise.

6. Evidence of Registration

A certified copy of an entry in the register may be obtained from the Secretary and is evidence of the registration of the person to whom the certificate relates. A fee of $30 is payable.

7. Application for Registration

Persons applying for registration must make personal application either to the Secretary or an agent of the Council and in the case of overseas graduates must identify themselves by producing a current passport and submit in support of this application a Certificate of Good Standing of recent date issued by the Medical Registration Authority in whose domain they last practised, a notarised copy of their primary medical degree and a recent reference from a professional colleague. The Certificate of Good Standing must clearly indicate that the applicant is currently registered with the Authority and further no disciplinary procedures are outstanding against the applicant. Applicants must also satisfy the Council that they intend to reside and practise in New Zealand and that a position is available.

All members of the Council have been appointed agents of the Council.

8. Character of Applicants

The Council may refuse to register any applicant who is not in the opinion of the Council a fit person to be registered or who has at any time been convicted of an offence which if committed in New Zealand would be punishable by imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards.

9. Eligibility for Registration

The Council may register any person who:

(a) Is a graduate in medicine and surgery of the University of New Zealand or the University of Otago or Auckland.

(b) Registered in accordance with the Acts relating to the registration of medical practitioners in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland provided that such person has been registered by virtue of degrees granted by a University in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland.

(c) The holder of a medical degree from a recognised University in Australia, Canada or South Africa.

10. Temporary Registration

A Certificate of Temporary Registration may be issued to approved overseas trained doctors visiting New Zealand to give postgraduate instruction. No fee is payable for such a certificate. Similarly, a certificate may be issued to certain approved applicants who are visiting New Zealand for the purposes of obtaining postgraduate experience. A fee may be charged for such a certificate. Temporary registrations are not listed in this register but verification of their status can be obtained from the Council office.

11. Probationary Registration

A Certificate of Probationary Registration may be issued to approved overseas trained doctors, not otherwise eligible for conditional or full registration. Probationary registration is granted to those doctors who have satisfied Council through examination or assessment that they are of a least equivalent standard to those granted conditional registration. A fee is charged for such a certificate. Probationary registrants are not listed in this register but verification of their status can be obtained from the Council office.

12. NZREX Examination

The New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX) is conducted by the Medical Council of New Zealand to assess the eligibility of overseas trained doctors to be registered as medical practitioners in New Zealand. The objective is to establish that overseas trained doctors have the required knowledge and clinical competence for the safe practice of medicine under approved supervision. The examination consists of three parts, English (a test of competence in the English language), Written (a test of professional knowledge in medicine), and Clinical (a test of clinical competence). Successful candidates who have completed all three parts are eligible to apply for probationary registration.

13. Appeal to High Court

An applicant who has been refused registration or who is dissatisfied with the direction of the Council may appeal to the High Court.

14. Commencement of Practice

No person may practise medicine or surgery under any style or title implying that he or she is registered under the Act unless he or she has been so registered.

No person may hold any appointment as a Medical Officer of Health, or medical officer in the armed forces, hospital, psychiatric hospitals, prisons, or other public institutions or friendly societies unless he or she is registered under the Act.

No person may commence practice unless and until he or she has been advised by an authorised Agent of Council to the effect that he or she is so entitled.