Before we debate targeted admission schemes, everyone needs the facts

ACT has announced it will campaign on scrapping the successful Māori and Pacific Admissions Scheme (MAPAS) at the University of Auckland, and its Otago equivalent. Both universities are awaiting a promised independent Ministry of Health review of the schemes, undertaken as part of the Coalition Agreement commitment to examine targeted admission programmes. The University has worked constructively with the ministry over the past year, providing information about MAPAS requested as part of the government review.

As Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, I have called on the responsible minister to release the MAPAS report so that the public can judge its findings for themselves. When matters of public policy are under debate, transparency is essential. It is particularly important when commentary risks undermining confidence in students, graduates, and selection processes that are rigorous, evidence-informed, and aligned with the health needs of all New Zealanders.

Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland stands firmly behind MAPAS and our wider suite of equity-focused admission pathways, including the Regional Rural Admission Scheme and the Undergraduate Targeted Admission Scheme.

These pathways are an essential part of our commitment to academic excellence, fairness and social responsibility. They are designed to ensure that talented students from communities that remain under-represented in the health workforce have a fair opportunity to enter medical education and contribute to the future health of Aotearoa New Zealand.

I reject inaccurate public commentary that misrepresents the purpose, integrity, and outcomes of these admission pathways. Public discussion about medical selection should be informed by evidence, by the realities of health workforce need, and by medical educators’ obligations to help address persistent inequities in health outcomes.

The evidence is clear. MAPAS has contributed to a sustained increase in the number of Māori and Pacific health professionals, including doctors, with the number of Māori and Pacific doctors steadily increasing since its inception.

Māori still make up only 5.8 percent of the medical workforce, and Pacific doctors make up 2.8 percent. Those figures remain well below the proportion of Māori and Pacific peoples in New Zealand's population. Increasing the number of Māori and Pacific health professionals is critical if the health system is to better reflect and serve the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Programmes like MAPAS help to address those barriers and play a vital role in closing the gaps. There is also growing evidence that health outcomes can improve when patients receive care from health professionals who understand and connect with their communities and cultural backgrounds.

Additionally, research shows both Māori and Pacific doctors have similar retention rates in New Zealand’s health workforce, around 86 percent at ten years post-registration. This is slightly higher than the retention rate for Pākehā doctors, which is around 83 percent. Māori and Pacific doctors are also more likely to work in General Practice and rurally – areas where workforce shortages remain significant.

Let me be clear about one point.

All medical students, regardless of admission pathway, must meet the same academic, clinical and professional standards before they graduate. Every student selected to study medicine at the University of Auckland has earned their place and is expected to demonstrate the competence, professionalism, and commitment required of a future doctor.

Programmes such as MAPAS are about levelling the playing field and building a better health workforce for New Zealand. We want a workforce with the greatest potential to improve the health and well-being of all New Zealanders, including those in underserved communities.

Academic achievement remains an important criterion for admission to health professional programmes, but evidence shows that grades alone are not the best predictor of who will succeed or become an outstanding health professional.

We will continue to advocate for Māori and Pacific students, for rural and regional communities, and for admission pathways that support a stronger and more representative health workforce.

I stand by our selection processes, our students and graduates, and our responsibility to help build a health workforce that meets the needs of all New Zealanders.