Following failure to meet attendance requirements for overseas electives by a significant number of students in the 2019 MB ChB Trainee Intern class, the Vice-Chancellor established an independently-chaired Inquiry into sixth year MB ChB electives.
The Inquiry was appointed to enquire into and comment on:
- The University's administration of sixth year electives, including the communication of its expectations and requirements in relation to those electives and its involvement in assessing the suitability of placements. The Inquiry is to focus principally on the 2019 year but is invited to consider whether any issues identified in relation to that year may have applied in earlier years.
- Any information received by the Inquiry to suggest insufficient elective attendance by Trainee Interns in years prior to 2019.
- The extent, if any, to which University of Otago staff may have been were aware of, or encouraged, insufficient elective attendance and/or the submission of misleading elective reports, or otherwise gave 2019 students grounds for thinking that their actions were acceptable.
- The adequacy of steps already taken by the Otago Medical School to address the situation for the future and any other steps it might adopt in connection with future elective management, supervision, reporting and monitoring practices.