Overseas placements in doubt after scam
The fallout from the Otago medical student scam could lead to overseas placements being scrapped, a doctor says.
Debate over the students’ conduct has raged since Otago University confirmed 53 Otago School of Medicine students falsified their paperwork and did not attend their placements – with some taking long holidays instead.
Final-year medical students are required to spend three months working at a hospital of their choice in New Zealand or abroad.
The doctor, who graduated from Otago Medical School and would not be named, said overseas hospital placements were no longer tenable.
‘‘I have said multiple times that this is the end of the overseas elective system.
‘‘I don’t see how they can have adequate systems in place to supervise them and I don’t think that [scrapping them] would be a bad thing.’’
On Monday, Otago University said it was going to withhold the qualifications of the 53 students, for failing to attend their elective placements.
The doctor said the 53 students had been ‘‘punished quite severely’’.
‘‘When I went through the system it was well known that this was how it was run. It was known as something to look forward to after your fifth-year exams.
‘‘In my opinion and in the opinion of all the doctors I have spoken to, the university has allowed this for years.’’
The 53 students will now be considered under Medical School Fitness to Practice processes. It means cases will likely be referred to the New Zealand Medical Council, which could monitor individuals once they start working as doctors.
Christchurch GP Dr Dermot Coffey told Stuff the university’s ‘‘sanctimonious and disproportionate response’’ ignores its own role ‘‘in tacitly accepting a practice which has been happening for decade’’.
‘‘The students are unfairly taking all the blame and the uni is getting away scotfree,’’ he said.
‘‘In comparison to us 20 years ago, these students are more diligent and harder working than we were.’’ Asked if overseas electives needed to be scrapped, he said: ‘‘It will be very hard for the uni to offer oversight of everyone going overseas."
The university launched an inquiry after rumours surfaced in June that students had not attended the overseas placements and further information about the investigation has since emerged.
A university spokeswoman said not all of the 247 final-year students were interviewed about their electives but they were asked to sign a declaration ‘‘which asked them to state whether they had met attendance expectations on their placements’’. The university initially said 15 students failed to adequately attend the electives and had committed academic misconduct but that figure rose to 53.
‘‘The initial group of students from Christchurch came to light following our earlier investigation.
‘‘We are satisfied we have followed a reasonable process to identify whether attendance expectations were met.’’
When asked if the university is considering ending overseas elective placements, she said: ‘‘Our inquiry may consider any of these types of questions.’’
Final-year students receive a government grant of $26,756 each – per 12-month internship – prompting online calls they should perform their three-month placements in New Zealand hospitals.
The spokeswoman said the university’s inquiry ‘‘may consider this’’.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said universities are ‘‘autonomous institutions and structure their qualifications and courses as they wish’’.
‘‘I know the university is looking closely at its processes around placements and has already begun taking actions to limit the chances of students failing to attend placements,’’ he said.
‘‘I have said multiple times that this is the end of the overseas elective system . . . and I don’t think [scrapping them] would be a bad thing.’’
Doctor