The MSOD project is a landmark study. Internationally, it is the first study to collect data on medical students at the commencement of study, at graduation, and into the postgraduate years.
Project aims
The MSOD project follows the career and location preferences of medical students and graduate doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand through to their actual career choices. It aims to provide insights into workforce trajectories and inform workforce development policy by exploring the backgrounds, motivations, and training experiences of medical students and doctors.
Overview
The Medical Schools Outcomes Database and Longitudinal Tracking Project (the MSOD project) began in 2005 under the auspices of the Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand, the peak representative body for Australian and New Zealand medical schools.
The University of Otago and the University of Auckland joined the project in 2007, with the support of the Ministry of Health's Health Workforce New Zealand and the New Zealand Medical Students Association, and the approval of the universities' Human Ethics Committees. In 2019, the Ministry and the universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding on sharing de-identified MSOD and workplace data to better forecast workplace demographics.
The MSOD project collects information from medical students' demographics and career intentions and influences on entering medical school, and then at graduation and one-, three-, five- and eight-years after graduation. The type, location, and duration of clinical placements and electives undertaken by participants are collected from their medical school.
Using this longitudinal data the MSOD investigates how the characteristics of students entering the medical school, their experiences while at medical school, and their pathways through pre-vocational and vocational training influence their career destinations. The information gained will be of major importance in curriculum development and in developing more accurate information for future medical workforce planning.
Broad categories of information collected in surveys includes: medical school, gender, age, whether a student is a domestic or international student, rural / urban origin, area of birth, ethnicity, high school, previous tertiary study, marital status, dependents, employment, rural club / association membership, research and electives undertaken, clinical placements, future career plans (discipline and location), and intern placement preferences.
Data collection
The table lists the national data the MSOD project has collected to date.
| Level | Years of data collected |
|---|---|
| Entry | 2007–2023 |
| Graduation | 2012–2022 |
| + 1 year | 2013–2022 |
| + 3 years | 2015–2022 |
| + 5 years | 2017–2022 |
| + 8 years | 2020–2022 |
National reports
Reports on combined University of Otago and University of Auckland medical students/graduates.
Commencing
- National report on students commencing medical school in New Zealand in 2013–2015 (PDF)
- National report on students commencing medical school in New Zealand in 2015–2019 (PDF)
- National report on students commencing medical school in New Zealand in 2019–2023 (PDF)
Graduating
- National report on students graduating medical school in New Zealand in 2012–2014 (PDF)
- National report on students graduating medical school in New Zealand in 2013–2017 (PDF)
- National report on students graduating medical school in New Zealand in 2016–2020 (PDF)
+1 year
- National report on doctors 1 year after graduating from NZ medical schools in 2011–2015 (PDF)
- National report on doctors 1 year after graduating from NZ medical schools in 2014–2018 (PDF)
+3 years
- National report on doctors 3 years after graduating from NZ medical schools in 2012–2016 (PDF)
- National report on doctors 3 years after graduating from NZ medical schools in 2011–2019 (PDF)
+5 years
+8 years
MDANZ Reports
Each year the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand (MDANZ) collects information from medical schools on enrolments and graduates, and publish it through the MDANZ Data Dashboard.
Publications
- Connell CJW, Bagg W, Jo E, Poole P. Effects of a regional–rural immersion program in Northland, New Zealand, on returning to work in that region. Published Aust J Rural Health May 2022
https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12876 - Poole P, Van Lier D, Verstappen A, Bagg W, Connell CJW, Nixon G, Wilkinson TJ. How rural is rural? The relationship between rural background of medical students and their career location intentions. Published Aust J Rural Health June 2021
https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12743 - Abid Y, Connell CJW, Sijnja B, Verstappen A, Poole P. National study of the impact of rural immersion programmes on intended location of medical practice. Rural and Remote Health 2020; 20: 5785.
https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH5785 - Freundlich SEN, Connell CJW, McGhee CNJ, Cunningham WJ, Bedggood A, Poole P. Enhancing Māori and Pasifika Graduate Interest in Ophthalmology Surgical Training in New Zealand/Aotearoa: Barriers and Opportunities.
Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2020 [published online ahead of print, 2020 Apr 26]. - Seleq S, Jo E, Poole P, Wilkinson T, Hyland F, Rudland J, Verstappen, A, Bagg W. The employment gap: the relationship between medical student career choices and the future needs of the New Zealand medical workforce.
New Zealand Medical Journal, 2019.3 2 (1506) - Poole P, Wilkinson TJ, Bagg W, Freegard J, Hyland F, Jo E, Kool B, Roberts E, Rudland J, Smith B, Verstappen A. Developing New Zealand's medical workforce: realising the potential of longitudinal career tracking.
NZ Med J 2019;132:1495 - Ling S, Jacobs R, Ponton R, Slark J, Verstappen A, Webster CS, Poole P. Influence of student debt on health career location and specialty.
J Prim Health Care 2018;10:54-61 - Kent M, Verstappen AC, Wilkinson T, Poole P. Keeping them interested: a national study of factors that change medical student interest in working rurally.
Rural and Remote Health 2018; 18: 4872 - Kent M, Poole P, Wilkinson T, Bagg W, Verstappen A, Rudland J, Hyland F. Rural 'persisters' vs.'switchers': the interaction of background and programme.
ANZAHPE 2018: Sustainability for Health Professions Education. 2018 Jul 3 - Verstappen A, Ling S, Rudland J, Webster C, Wilkinson T, Poole P. What predicts an interest in General Practice? Preliminary insights from a longitudinal tracking project.
ANZAHPE 2018: Sustainability for Health Professions Education. 2018 Jul 2 - Poole P, Stoner T, Verstappen A, Bagg W. Medical students: where have they come from; where are they going.
NZ Med J. 2016 May 27;129(1435):59-67
New Zealand MSOD Steering Group
The MSOD project is the responsibility of a small group of staff from the Otago and Auckland medical schools.
University of Otago
- Professor Tim Wilkinson
- Associate Professor Joy Rudland
- Dr Alex Salkeld
University of Auckland
- Professor Phillippa Poole
- Professor Warwick Bagg
- Dr Charlotte Connell
- Antonia Verstappen
Ministry of Health
- Emmanuel Jo
- Amy Wilson
Contact
If you have any questions about the New Zealand project, contact:
Email msod.project@otago.ac.nz
Information on the Australian MSOD project is provided by the Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand on the website:
