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Medical students at University of Otago were found to be falsifying their placement documents to go on extensive holidays. (file photo)
University of Otago is launching a formal inquiry into a 2019 scam in which medical students used fake documents to take holidays instead of overseas work placements.
Stuffrevealed 50 students – at the university s campuses in Christchurch, Dunedin and Wellington – did not attend their 12-week placements. It was alleged some chose specific medical centres in Belize, Bosnia and Italy, where they could get their placement signed-off – sometimes for cash – after only a week or less. An independently-chaired panel will “broadly consider the administration of sixth year electives, particularly in 2019” but also in previous years – meaning the final year work of people who are practising doctors could be investigated.