NZDF health is tasked with maintaining, improving and restoring the health of the Defence Force in order to maintain the operational effectiveness of the NZDF.

  • Service
    Army
  • Specialisation
    Medical and Health
  • Location
    Various
  • Starting salary
    $203,464
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army doctor landscape

About the role

To achieve the task, the NZDF medical officer is expected to provide high quality care to defence personnel at home, on exercise, and on operations.

The Defence Medical Officer is a generalist with a diverse role that includes aspects of primary care, occupational medicine, sports/musculoskeletal medicine, expeditionary medicine, prehospital medicine and acute care. The NZDF medical officer will provide this care to NZDF personnel, as required, be it on land, at sea or in the air.

NZDF health is committed to providing opportunities to develop and maintain the skills and experience required to deliver this care. Individual services may provide opportunities to acquire specific occupational knowledge or skills including Dive Medicine and Aviation Medicine, however these are not exclusive to any particular service.

If you have referred to the minimum entry requirements below, but would like more information on this role please email specialists@defencecareers.mil.nz

Career progression and training

Career Progression

Basic Training

Job Training

Ongoing Training

As a Medical Officer in the New Zealand Army, you will be able to take your existing skills to the next level. The comprehensive training you will receive as an Officer will allow you to lead teams of people, in all kinds of situations.

You should be committed to providing high quality care to NZDF personnel at home and overseas, on exercises and on operations. You will sometimes be expected to work in diverse and challenging environments often in small multidisciplinary teams. Solid interpersonal skills and the ability to build and maintain strong teams will be a key attribute.

You should be adaptable enough in your clinical practise to work with confidence, often in austere environments on land, at sea or in the air. Health provision to defence is complex involving aspects of primary care, occupational medicine and emergency medicine. You should be willing to acquire and continually develop skills across this broad spectrum of experience.

Officer Cadet School

(12 weeks) Location: Waiouru Military Camp

Initial training begins in early January. Attendees at this training will be a mixture of Regular Force General List Officer Cadets, Regular Force Special List Officer Cadets, and Reserve Force Special List Officer Cadets.

The training will be split into three modules and attendance at Modules One, Two and Three is required for all Regular Force Officer Cadets. Reserve Force Special List Officer Cadets must attend Modules One and Three; this can be in the same year or in consecutive years.

Training covers:

  • NZ Army Ethos and Values
  • Self-leadership
  • Physical Training
  • Basic field-craft
  • Military Unarmed Combat
  • Weapon handling
  • Navigation
  • Battle-craft
  • Radio telephone procedure
  • Weapon handling
  • Drill
  • NZ Army tactics
  • Leadership

Training as a Medical Officer is developed case-by-case in consultation with the NZDF’s Chief Medical Officer and the senior Medical Officer at your local Defence Health Centre.

The training programme may consist of a combination of “on the job” experience, readings, completion of a series of prescribed tasks (a workbook), and discussions with other Defence Health professionals, to ensure you are familiar with Defence Force policies and systems.

After initial employment and training the Defence Force may provide funding and study leave for Medical Officers to complete further professional study. Options may include, but are not limited to:

  • Early Management of Severe Trauma Course
  • Sports Medicine Course/Diplomas
  • Musculo-Skeletal Medicine Course
  • Dive Medicine Course
  • GPVTP Registrar (RNZCGP Supervised)
  • RNZCGP Supervision and oversight post GPVTP part 1
  • Tertiary study
army medical officer hero 20230815

Salary and benefits

Remuneration for Medical Officers is benchmarked against the DHB, with military factor and superannuation contribution (if joining a scheme) in addition. Candidates will be assessed individually for their starting remuneration step based on post graduate qualifications and experience. The figures below are only an indication of salary.

$203,464

Starting salary

$281,498

Future potential earnings

Starting figure provided for vocationally trained General Practitioners, updated on July 1st 2023

Benefits and allowances

Earn a competitive salary while training or learning your trade, along with additional allowances for time spent in the field, at sea, overseas, or deployed on operations.

In addition to salary and allowances, other benefits of joining the New Zealand Defence Force include:

Free and subsidised medical and dental care

Access to subsidised equipment on camp and bases

Subsidised food on camps and bases

Sponsored tertiary study programmes at all levels

Free access to gyms and swimming pools on camp and bases

Subsidised accomodation on camps and bases

Free and subsidised insurance cover

Help to buy a home and save for retirement

Opportunities to travel

Competitive superannuation

Entry requirements

Basics

Education

Fitness and Medical

Citizenship

Period of Service

  • Registration with the NZ Medical Council
  • Must have completed postgraduate year 2 (PGY2)
  • Meet the citizenship and security requirements to gain SV security clearance for this trade
  • Pass an Officer Selection Board

Essential Requirements: 

  • Registration with the NZ Medical Council
  • Must have completed postgraduate year 2 (PGY2)

Desirable qualifications and experiences: 

  • Experience in the delivery of primary care,
  • Vocational qualification and registration in a primary healthcare speciality (general practice, acute care and occupational health),
  • Clinical experience in pre-hospital emergency care (PHEC),
  • Experience in sports and exercise medicine,
  • Experience in occupational health.

Applicants would also benefit from experience in small multidisciplinary teams, austere or expeditionary medicine, and/or previous military service.

The New Zealand Army provides a Fellowship training programme to enable training towards the Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practice. A selection and prioritisation process is used for acceptance on this pathway. The NZ Army may also support vocational training in other disciplines such as sports, occupational and emergency medicine.

There are strict citizenship and security requirements to gain the required SV security clearance for this trade.

Find out if you’re eligible here.

There may be a return of service period for this trade.

Please contact our 0800 number or talk to your Candidate Experience Facilitator for more information.

 

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