University of Otago

What you'll study

This postgraduate diploma provides a blend of applied clinical modules, aviation‑specific theory and practical skills training tailored to patient care in the transport environment. Teaching covers the physiological effects of altitude and acceleration on the critically ill, advanced assessment and resuscitation in confined and moving platforms, and clinical management across the lifespan from neonates to adults.

• Principles of Aeromedical Physiology — gas laws, hypoxia, gas expansion, and their clinical implications.
• Advanced Retrieval Clinical Practice — airway management, ventilatory support, haemodynamic monitoring and analgesia in flight.
• Specialist Populations — neonatal and paediatric retrieval, obstetric considerations and complex adult cases.
• Aviation Safety and Human Factors — aviation terminology, safety systems, crew resource management, and risk assessment.
• Mission Planning and Logistics — operational planning, communication, loading and loading plans, and medical kit preparation.
• Legal, Ethical and Governance Issues — consent, scope of practice, medico‑legal responsibilities and quality improvement.
• Simulation and Practical Placements — high‑fidelity simulation scenarios and supervised clinical placements with retrieval or transport teams to consolidate in‑service skills.
• Research Methods and Evidence‑based Practice — critical appraisal, audit and a small independent project or quality improvement activity.

The programme is delivered through blended learning: campus‑based lectures and laboratories, simulation sessions, and workplace learning. It can be completed typically in one year full‑time or over a longer period part‑time to accommodate clinical commitments.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a relevant health professional qualification and current registration or licensure in their practising jurisdiction. Typical applicants include practising doctors, registered nurses and paramedics with clinical experience in acute or emergency care. Employers often support candidates to meet the practical placement and clinical supervision requirements.

• Completed undergraduate degree in a health or allied health discipline, or equivalent professional entry qualification.
• Current professional registration (for example medical, nursing or paramedic registration) and evidence of clinical practice experience.
• Clinical references and a curriculum vitae demonstrating relevant acute care or retrieval experience; some prior exposure to emergency, intensive care or neonatal units is advantageous.
• Competence in English demonstrated to the University’s postgraduate entry standard (international applicants should check the University’s accepted English language tests and scores).

Specific entry conditions and any employer sponsorship or workplace supervised practice requirements should be confirmed with the programme office before applying.

Career prospects

Graduates of the diploma are prepared for advanced roles in aeromedical and remote patient transport services. Common career destinations include flight nurse, flight paramedic, retrieval clinician, and clinical coordinator roles within civilian or military aeromedical services. The qualification also supports positions in critical care transport teams, neonatal and paediatric retrieval services, emergency medical services, and in clinical governance, education or programme development for retrieval organisations.

Many graduates use the diploma as a stepping stone to further postgraduate study in emergency medicine, intensive care, anaesthesia, or health leadership and research pathways.

Why study at University of Otago

The University of Otago has a long history of clinical education and a research‑led health sciences faculty with strong links to New Zealand’s health services. The programme benefits from teaching by clinicians experienced in retrieval medicine, access to simulation suites and practical skills laboratories, and opportunities for workplace learning with regional transport teams.

Students gain multidisciplinary training in an environment that emphasises patient safety, evidence‑based practice and interprofessional collaboration. The University’s focus on health research and quality improvement also supports students who wish to pursue scholarly projects or further postgraduate study after completion of the diploma.