At the University of Auckland, the Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS) reserves 127 out of 317 domestic medical school places each year. That’s about 40 percent of all spots, set aside purely on the basis of race.

The grade requirements also aren’t equal. On paper, all applicants need at least a 6.0 GPA from first-year study. However, in practice, the bar is far higher for General applicants. An OIA request showed that in 2024, the median GPA for successful General-category students was 8.5, compared to just 6.2 for MAPAS admissions.

This means students in the General pool often need near-perfect marks, top UCAT scores, and strong interview results just to gain entry. Meanwhile, MAPAS applicants are admitted through a large reserved quota with significantly lower grade thresholds.

Otago University runs a similar system under its “Mirror on Society” policy, setting aside a significant number of places in medicine and other health programmes, with the largest share again reserved for Māori and Pacific students.

As a result, a student with top marks can be turned away, while another with lower marks is admitted, solely based on their ethnicity.

That’s not fair.
It’s not equal.
And it’s not the Kiwi way.

We all want more doctors, nurses, and professionals from all walks of life, but the way to get there isn’t by shutting out hardworking students because of their ethnicity.

‍Let’s support students who need extra help with tutoring, scholarships, and mentoring. But let’s keep university entry fair and open for everyone.