IB vs NCEA?

The IB diploma is only offered at 2 public high schools in all of New Zealand so you may as well take up the opportunity if you can afford the $1500/yr examination fee (IB is for two years). For comparison, the NCEA entry fee is approx. $75 for each of its three years.

Entry to medical school in New Zealand is based on academic performance in common intermediate courses during your first year at university, so as long as you have had exposure to the sciences in your senior years at high school you should be fine. Your co-curricular activities and volunteering/work experience is equally if not more important.

Direct entry from high school into Australian medical school is very hard, you will need to place within the top few percent in the country which means an almost perfect score in IB or majority excellence endorsed credits in your NCEA Level 3.

Additionally, you must also sit the UMAT prior to admission into most medical schools in Australia and New Zealand.

Hope this helps!