University of Otago Compliance

Understanding Compliance

Understanding Compliance

There are certain requirements that you must meet to be eligible to start your studies at your Australian university. This covers a range of items, from first aid and CPR certifications to police checks, Working with Children checks, and immunization requirements.  

We have created this page to help you prepare for your program’s clinical placements. Some you can get a head start on now, while others will need to wait until you’ve landed and settled in New Zealand.

Please find details for your program below!

Dentistry

Dentistry (Faculty of Health Sciences)

For detailed information about Otago’s compliance and clinical placement requirements, please visit the following websites:

If you have further questions, please email sh-vaxclinic@otago.ac.nz.

FAQs

For a comprehensive breakdown of what immunization requirements are all about, be sure to check out our blog, Compliance and immunization requirements for Australian universities.

You will need the following vaccinations / screenings:

  • Hepatitis B vaccine
  • Hepatitis B serology
  • Varicella vaccine
  • Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine
  • Measles, mumps, rubella vaccine
  • Influenza vaccine
  • Tuberculosis screening

When should I complete my immunization requirements?
We recommend that all students, regardless of program area, make an appointment with their family physician before their departure to New Zealand. The university will require students to complete specific forms with the assistance of their general practitioner, in which case, be sure to bring these with you to your appointment!

Do I need a police check from Canada? 
All students need to obtain one from Canada before leaving for New Zealand. This is because it may not only be necessary if you have clinical placements as part of your program, but it may also come in handy when looking to secure accommodation or a part time job! For police checks, these can be obtained through your local police department and will not require fingerprints.

Where do I send my completed forms and documents? 
Once you have completed the necessary requirements, your certificates and forms will need to be emailed to sh-vaxclinic@otago.ac.nz.

Do I need to complete a working with children check prior to entering New Zealand? 
In New Zealand, the Children’s Act 2014 is aimed at providing better protection for vulnerable children. One of the ways it aims to do this is by introducing safety checking.

If you will work with vulnerable children—as part of a specified organization that provides regulated services—the Act requires you to be safety checked at least once every three years.

The safety check involves

  • identify verification;
  • New Zealand police vetting;
  • reference checking;
  • an interview; and
  • a risk assessment.

Applicants who enter the program will receive further information regarding the timing of these checks.

Can I complete my first aid requirements in Canada? 
OzTREKK and most of our universities recommend that students complete these certifications upon their arrival to New Zealand.

The certificate should include at least NZQA Standard 6401 and 6402, but students are recommended to obtain a qualification which includes the higher NZQA Standard 6400.

The following are a selection of recommended training course: