Medic Job in New Zealand Recruiting by New Zealand Defence Force

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About the role Career progression and training Salary and benefits Entry requirements

On the ground and in the air, you will experience a medical career unlike anything in civilian life, providing all aspects of medical care to Air Force personnel.

Service Air Force

Specialisation Medical and Health

Location Various

Starting Trade Training $64,177

About the role

As a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Medic you will be responsible for performing a variety of medical tasks in various locations.

The medical team is a vital part of the Air Force and secondly to the New Zealand Defence Force. As a Medic your role is to provide pre-hospital primary and emergency health care, occupational, environmental and preventative medicine to the RNZAF and Defence Force in operational and static environments, often under adverse conditions on the ground and in the air. It is a demanding role, and you will need to be tough and able to keep a cool head in stressful situations.

Job on base

As a Medic, you will be posted to a Defence Health Centre where you will assist with daily duties including treating personnel with illness or injury, medical administration, minor surgery and medical cover for base emergencies. RNZAF defence health centres have personnel on standby for all military flights, both leaving and arriving on base or flying in the local area. These flights can occur any time of the day and at times you may be on call after hours to provide assistance if necessary. Medics are also involved in the provision of search and rescue operations and you may be required to provide on call and after hours support.

RNZAF units continually train for military operations, not only on base, but also in field environments. Medical support is required for field exercises such as deployed flying exercises, parachuting, survival training, weapon range activities, and recruit training. A medic will attend most field activities and provide emergency medical care in the event of an incident (on the ground or in the air) and treat any illness or injury that may occur. Medics will often find themselves in situations where they are the only health care provider readily available, and therefore you will have training in emergency medicine. This starts with basic first aid but will extend through to areas including advanced cardiac life support, advanced airway management, advanced trauma life support, and intravenous fluid therapy.

All RNZAF personnel have some first aid training. As you gain medical knowledge and experience, you will be involved in conducting this training, including CPR, first aid courses, advanced first aid for treating combat casualties, and training people who are preparing for overseas deployments.

Job on deployment

The focus for a Medic on operational duties is the maintenance of optimum health amongst deployed personnel, and provision of emergency care to deployed personnel and to the local populace as required.

You will perform duties such as daily medical consultations and treatment, checking hygiene standards, and environmental health control and prevention. You may get the opportunity to be part of forward Aeromedical Evacuation team.

You may also be involved in humanitarian aid following cyclones or tsunamis in places such as Samoa and Indonesia, or the Aeromedical Evacuation of personnel from abroad back to New Zealand.

Learning pathways

The NZDF is pleased to be partnering with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) to deliver training to our medics. This will see them studying towards a Level 6 Diploma in Paramedic Science and a Level 7 Graduate Certificate in Health Science. 

These qualifications will be achieved through the completion of the Military Medical Technician, and NZDF Medic training programmes at Defence Health School.

Career progression and training

Career Progression

Basic Training

Job Training

Ongoing Training

As a Medic, you will learn all that is needed to effectively be able to ensure the health requirements of the RNZAF are met. From emergency medicine to sanitation, you will be trained in recognising, minimising and eliminating anything which poses a threat to the safety, health and well being of NZDF personnel.

Throughout your career you will have continuous opportunities to expand your knowledge and experience, and to remain current as a medical professional.

Upon successful enlistment into the Air Force you’ll be posted to RNZAF Base Woodbourne (near Blenheim). Here you’ll do 12 weeks of basic military training to find out if you’ve got what it takes to be in the Air Force, and learn various subjects including:

Organisation and Administration

RNZAF Customs and Protocol

Drill and Parades

Military Field Skills and Weapon Training

First Aid, and Search and Rescue Techniques

Physical Fitness

Medic training is conducted in Burnham Military Camp. Medic training is approximately 2.5 years long and is broken into two courses. The first course, Military Medic Technician (MMT) course, is approximately 18 months. Over this period you will learn the foundation primary health care and operational skills required of an MMT. You will undertake 24 weeks of on the job experience where you will work in many of the health units spread across New Zealand.

Upon graduating as an MMT you will commence Medic training, which is a further 42 weeks training where you will learn advanced primary health care and operational skills as well as develop your skills as a sole charge medic. During the Medic training programme you will undertake a further 16 weeks of on the job experience.

As part of your learning pathway, you will study towards a Level 6 Diploma in Paramedic Science and a Level 7 Graduate Certificate in Health Science. 

These qualifications will be achieved through the completion of the MMT course, and the NZDF medic training programmes at Defence Health School.

Upon completion of your training you will then graduate as a qualified medic, be posted to your unit and will be eligible to serve overseas.

Once you have gained this qualification you will be posted to an Air Force base where you will begin working as a medic to meet the outputs of the medical trade, the Air Force and Defence Force.

You will continue to upskill and undertake further training in Aeromedical Evacuation utilising both rotary and fixed wing aircraft. Throughout your career there will be numerous and varied training opportunities both within the medical field and outside.

To maintain your knowledge and skills, there may be opportunities to carry out clinical and emergency care placements in a civilian hospital and the pre hospital environment.

Salary and benefits

Careers in the Air Force are well-rewarded, as well as being diverse and exciting. As you become more experienced and move up through the ranks, gaining additional skills and qualifications, you will see your salary rise accordingly.

$50,597

Under Initial Training

$64,177

Starting Trade Training

$122,331

Future Potential Earnings

Figures 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:

Access to your Service marae or tūrangawaewae

Sponsored tertiary study programmes at all levels

Free access to gyms and swimming pools on camp and bases

Opportunities to travel

Free and subsidised medical and dental care

Subsidised food and accomodation on camps and bases

Free and subsidised insurance cover

Help to buy a home and save for retirement

Entry requirements

Basics

Education

Fitness and medical

Citizenship

Period of Service

You must be 17 years or older.

Meet the citizenship & security requirements to gain CV security clearance for this trade.

A Class 1 restricted driver's license is desirable, but is not compulsory.

NCEA Level 2 certificate.

Find out more about the NCEA levels and certificate requirements

You must be medically fit for service.

Colour perception restrictions may apply.

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

Find out if you’re eligible here.

Your training is some of the most thorough and advanced in the world. On completion of your formal (tertiary) training you may be contractually obliged to carry out a return of service to the Air Force.

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