Salary:

Senior Medical Officers receive a base salary relative to their level of experience. This is agreed upon at the time of the job offer. There is a 15-step pay scale that SMOs continue to progress through on a yearly basis.

In New Zealand, the salary and benefits of some roles are determined by collective agreements between unions and employers. The full Senior Medical Officers collective agreement can be found on the Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora website here.

Additional allowances are paid on top of base salary and vary due to location and service and are often not specified in the collective agreement.

Allowances:

There are a range of additional allowances for:

• on-call,

• evening, night and weekend work,

• call back,

• job size,

• recruitment and retention,

• and special contribution.

Leave:

• 6 weeks of paid annual leave.

• A minimum of 10 days of sick leave per year.

• 10 days of paid Continuing Medical Education Leave (CME), plus the ability to use annual leave tacked onto the end of your CME travel.

• 6-12 months of parental leave depending on the length of service, including 6 weeks of fully paid parental leave.

• 12 paid public holidays + time in lieu/alternative holiday if rostered on.

• Long service leave + sabbatical opportunities.

Additional benefits include: 

• An annual Continuing Medical Education (CME) allowance of NZD $16,000 (pro-rated for part-time employees).

• Membership subscriptions of medical professional bodies are reimbursed by Health New Zealand.

• Your professional indemnity insurance is covered by Health NZ.

• If eligible, up to a 6% matching superannuation contribution from Health New Zealand as your employer. Find out more here.

• A relocation package for international candidates.

Leadership and career development opportunities:

Health New Zealand encourages Senior Medical Officers to be involved in the design, implementation and performance of facilities and technology involved in the delivery of healthcare services to ensure an effective, efficient and safe workplace. 

Specific opportunities vary by location and service, however, can include:  

• Support and encouragement for research and publications.
  

• Mentorship opportunities for apprentice Junior Doctors/Registrars.
  

• Regional and National networks allow for subspeciality research and practice. 
  

• Ongoing development and support for career growth with on-the-job coaching and a variety of in-house training programmes. 

Anaesthetists in New Zealand are specialist medical practitioners responsible for providing anaesthesia and comprehensive perioperative care to patients undergoing surgical and medical procedures. Their expertise ensures patient safety and comfort throughout the perioperative period.

Perioperative care

Preoperative assessment:

• Conduct comprehensive evaluations of patients prior to surgery, including medical history reviews and physical examinations.

• Optimise patients' medical conditions before surgery, especially those with complex health issues.

• Discuss anaesthesia options with patients, explain associated risks, and obtain informed consent.

Intraoperative anaesthesia management:

• Administer general, regional, or local anaesthesia tailored to the surgical procedure and patient needs.

• Monitor vital signs, manage anaesthesia care and respond to intraoperative complications.

• Act as a leader within the operating theatre team and support safe and efficient patient care.

Postoperative care:

• Oversee patient recovery from anaesthesia in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU).

• Manage postoperative pain through multimodal analgesia, including medications and regional techniques.

• Address anaesthesia-related complications such as nausea, vomiting, or delayed recovery.

Critical Care & Emergency Medicine

Trauma & emergency anaesthesia:

• Provide rapid-response anaesthesia in emergency situations, including trauma and cardiac arrest.

• Assist in resuscitation efforts, including airway management, intubation, and mechanical ventilation.

• Collaborate with emergency and intensive care teams to stabilise critically ill patients.

Advanced and complex patient care:

• Manage sedation, analgesia and cardio-respiratory support in an Intensive Care environment.

• Provide ventilation and utilise advanced haemodynamic monitoring for seriously unwell patients.

• Collaborate with medical retrieval teams to prepare patients for transfer to other hospitals.

Obstetric anaesthesia:

• Provide pain relief during labour and childbirth, including epidural and spinal anaesthesia.

• Administer anaesthesia for caesarean sections and other obstetric surgical procedures.

• Manage obstetric emergencies such as postpartum haemorrhage and pre-eclampsia.

Specialist & procedural anaesthesia

Paediatric Anaesthesia:

• Deliver safe and effective anaesthesia tailored to neonates, infants, and children.

• Manage airway challenges and physiological differences in paediatric patients.

Cardiac and Neuroanaesthesia:

• Provide anaesthesia for complex cardiac and neurosurgical procedures, ensuring haemodynamic stability and neuroprotection.

• Utilise advanced monitoring techniques as appropriate.

Regional and Pain Medicine:

• Perform regional anaesthesia techniques such as nerve blocks and spinal/epidural injections to manage acute and chronic pain.

• Contribute to multidisciplinary pain management teams for patients with chronic pain conditions.

Education & training

• Teach and mentor medical students, junior doctors, and anaesthetic trainees in both clinical and academic settings.

• Conduct research to advance anaesthetic practices and improve patient outcomes.

• Participate in continuing professional development (CPD) to stay updated on the latest anaesthetic techniques and guidelines.

Cultural competency

• Deliver culturally responsive care that aligns with Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles.

• Recognise the specific health needs of Māori and Pacific patients and ensure equitable access to safe anaesthetic care.

• Collaborate with Māori and Pacific health providers to integrate traditional values and holistic approaches to healthcare.

Administrative & professional responsibilities

• Maintain accurate and detailed medical records, including anaesthesia charts and patient care documentation.

• Adhere to professional standards set by the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA).

• Engage in quality improvement initiatives, risk management, and patient safety programs within healthcare institutions.

• Collaborate with surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals to ensure seamless perioperative care.

Medical qualification:

Hold a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) or an equivalent overseas qualification recognised by the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ).

Registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ):

Obtain vocational registration in anaesthesia with the MCNZ. This typically requires:

• Completion of a primary specialist qualification in anaesthesia.

• Completion of the ANZCA (Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists) training programme, which includes:

  • A minimum of five years of accredited specialist Anaesthesia training.

  • Regular workplace-based assessments and in-training evaluations.

  • Completion of the ANZCA Fellowship examination.

  • Successful completion of clinical and procedural assessments during training.

• Or an international postgraduate medical qualification in Anaesthesia - you will be assessed by the combination of your qualifications, training and experience, against the standard of the FANZCA.

Annual Practising Certificate (APC):

Maintain a valid APC issued by the MCNZ, which must be renewed annually.

To retain your APC, you must:

• Provide evidence of ongoing competence in Anaesthesia.

• Participate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities.

Registering to work as a Senior Medical Officer in New Zealand:

To work as a Senior Medical Officer in New Zealand you will need to obtain Vocational Registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ).

Pathways to Vocational Registration include:

1. Direct pathway to Vocational Registration:

• If you are an International Medical Graduate (IMG) with specialist qualifications from countries with medical systems deemed equivalent to New Zealand’s (e.g., Australia, the UK, the USA, Canada, or some European countries), you may be eligible to apply directly for vocational registration without needing first to obtain general registration.

• In this pathway, the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) will assess your specialist qualifications, clinical experience, and the medical system where you trained. If these are deemed equivalent, you can apply directly for vocational registration in your specialty.

• This pathway allows experienced specialists to bypass general registration and the provisional general phase, which is typically required for doctors without a recognised specialist qualification.

2. Provisional Vocational Registration pathway

• If the MCNZ determines that your qualifications and experience are largely equivalent but that you need some orientation or assessment within the New Zealand healthcare system, you may be granted provisional vocational registration.

• This means you’ll practice in your specialty under supervision for a period, typically between 6-12 months, before being granted full vocational registration.

• During this provisional Vocational Registration period, a specialist who practises in the same area of medicine as you will supervise you. 

3. General registration pathway

• Some IMGs who do not meet the criteria for direct vocational registration may first need to obtain general registration if their qualifications and experience are not recognized as equivalent.

• This process to gain Vocational Registration includes:

  • A period of Provisional General Registration (with supervised practice) if necessary.

  • After obtaining General Registration, they can later apply for Vocational Registration once they have completed any further assessments or additional supervised practice required by the MCNZ.

Take the self-assessment

The Medical Council of New Zealand have a self-assessment tool to help you easily determine which registration pathway you should take.

Use the Medical Council's self-assessment tool

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