Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a job at Waikato Hospital?

You can apply directly to the Waikato DHB.You do not need to apply through a recruitment agency. However, you must apply for your job through the proper Waikato DHB recruitment processes. As such, the recruitment process is conducted online through the Waikato DHB eRecruitment system. Please visit our vacancies page to view current vacancies/opportunities. As well as your up-to-date CV, we ask for a covering letter and at least three references. Prospective year one house officers apply in accordance with the protocols and procedures required by the ACE matching system Contact our recruitment coordinator if you require assistance with your application or Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) registration.

However, you must apply for your job through the proper Waikato DHB recruitment processes. As such, the recruitment process is conducted online through the Waikato DHB eRecruitment system. Please visit our vacancies page to view current vacancies/opportunities. As well as your up-to-date CV, we ask for a covering letter and at least three references.

Prospective year one house officers apply in accordance with the protocols and procedures required by the ACE matching system.

Contact our recruitment coordinator if you require assistance with your application or Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) registration.

Penny Simpson

Email:  penny.simpson@waikatodhb.health.nz
Ph: +64 7 858 0946

Who should I ask to provide references?

If you’re a prospective year one house officer, you should ask a consultant from a hospital you have worked at as a trainee intern to provide you with a reference or a consultant who supervised your elective placement. It pays to check that your referees are happy to act in this capacity for you - and will say positive things - before sending them referee forms to complete.

House officers should furnish three written references and also the names of people we can contact for verbal referee checks. A designated clinician will consider your CV and suitability for the position. They may also contact you directly. Waikato DHB uses a standardised referee report form.form Registrars are interviewed according to Waikato DHB’s recruitment policies.

Registrars are interviewed according to Waikato DHB’s recruitment policies.

Can I send documents electronically?

Yes, but if a document needs your signature, you must send us the signed hard copy.

Applications through ACE are all electronic.

If I apply to Waikato, what employment opportunities can you offer my partner?

If your partner is also a doctor, we would welcome applications from you both. If you are married, please remember to let us know if you and your partner have different surnames. We’ll try to accommodate you if there are suitable vacancies.

If your partner is a member of another professional group or occupation, there may be other employment opportunities in the DHB or at other academic, research institutions or businesses in Hamilton. We are happy to point you in the right direction.

Will I have to attend an interview?

Waikato Hospital follows the ACE process for year one house officers, so we won't be interviewing you. Instead, candidates will be ranked against a (nationally) agreed set of criteria and the final ranked list of candidates will be viewed by a clinical panel before that list is submitted to ACE for ranking.

House officers and registrars - you will be notified if you are required to attend an interview.

How will you let me know if my application is successful?

All 20 DHBs in New Zealand have committed to continuing the ACE system (Advanced Choice of Employment) for the recruitment and placement of year one house officers for the coming years.

All offers and acceptances of employment will follow standard Waikato DHB recruitment processes. We’ll send you a letter offering you a position. If you want information quickly, we will also send you an email. Your acceptance, however, must be in writing and be received by the stated date  (in your job offer letter) to be considered valid.

Are there rounds of acceptance?

Yes, as in the past.

In the case of year one house officers applying through the ACE system, only one "matching" will be held.

Can I turn down a job offer?

You have the right to turn down any job offer. We hope, however, that by applying to Waikato Hospital you have already considered the benefits of coming to work with us.

For year one house officers, when you enter into the ACE ‘matching’ process it is expected that you will accept the ‘matched’ position offered to you.

What if my application is unsuccessful?

Candidates who do not win placements in the first instance or through the ACE ‘matching’ system will be able to apply directly to District Health Boards (DHBs) for any advertised positions.

What choice will I have over choosing clinical attachments once I’ve accepted?

Year one house officers have specific requirements for registration with the MCNZ within their first 12 months and therefore need to complete four MCNZ accredited clinical attachments

All other house officers are asked to list in order their preference of clinical attachments. We do our best to try to match you to your preferred choices.

Registrars need to apply for their jobs.

Is Waikato Hospital a teaching/training hospital?

Yes - and it’s developing an even stronger focus on training and research. It has a modern library and academic centre to support this move. The centre accommodates a clinical skills training suite which is fully equipped for medical staff to practise their skills.

Is there an RMO lounge?

Yes. A new RMO facility has opened on Level 4 of the Waiora Building. It includes  separate sleeping facilities, a change / locker room and the lounge area,  has a fully serviceable kitchen area, comfortable seating and sky digital, plus there is a study and computer room off this central loungelonge area 

What about internet access?

This has been greatly improved around the hospital campus. The library boasts 20 computers for public use. There are also computers stationed in the hospital that you can use as well as in the RMO lounge.

What hours are meals available?

The Upper Deck cafe is open 7.30am to 8.30pm seven days a week. As per the NZRDA DHB Collective Agreement, every RMO is “entitled to a meal” over a designated “meal period”. The Upper Deck Cafe is the only place from which RMOs can uplift their meals. At Waikato Hospital, we have developed a ‘chit’ system as the process for getting these meals. This will be explained in detail upon appointment.

There are also great cafes close to the hospital which serve superb coffees and food.

How hard is it to get parking at the hospital?

Car parking spaces at Waikato DHB are at a premium – but doctors are given priority for the available spaces. You can be issued with a swipe card, and each time this is used for campus parking, a deduction will be made from your salary. For those working ’long days’, for safety and security reasons, you are able to park in the car park building off Hague Road. This willcan be explained in detail upon appointment.Thereto you more fully at the commencement of your employment There is also a locked ‘bike shed’ facility with accompanying showers and changing rooms. This is attached to the Wilson Carparking building adjacent to the Hague Road carparking building. This is a secured building and keys can be purchased from the car parking administration building

Is there childcare on campus?

A childcare centre, Lollipops Educare, has been built opposite the hospital.

What about the availability of accommodation?

We try to give all new arrivals up to a maximum of two weeks free accommodation when they arrive in Hamilton. (Please note, this is only short term and no extensions can be given beyond the two weeks.) Doctors don’t usually find this a problem as good accommodation can be found at reasonable rates within walking distance of the hospital.  What’s the team structure and responsibilities, including emergency cover?

The ‘normal’ structure applies: consultants, registrars, house officers and year one house officers. Sometimes they work purely in teams so that the team of the consultant works when that consultant works; on other occasions, there has to be ‘x’ number of house officers on with a registrar; or only house officers (not year one house officers in the first six months of their employment) working nights; or registrars on advanced training schemes may be required to only work two sets of nights in a one year period.

It varies according to the team, department and clinical requirements.