Becoming a consultant is a bigger shift than anyone really prepares you for
Quick Facts
Around a third of new fellows report the move from trainee to consultant was difficult or very difficult, and 68% of respondents wanted more support during the transition.1
It's a difficult step-up, too often ending in second-guessing, lost confidence, and higher burnout risk in the first years than it needs to be.
Our course names what’s changing plainly, and reflects how the role actually works - the realities of the Aotearoa New Zealand ward rather than theory.
It's a difficult step-up, too often ending in second-guessing, lost confidence, and higher burnout risk in the first years than it needs to be.
Our course names what’s changing plainly, and reflects how the role actually works - the realities of the Aotearoa New Zealand ward rather than theory.
Course Contents
Try the first two lessons, free
The Consultant Physician Role
Course Only
$400 + GST
The full online course: three modules, around 6-7 hours, self-paced on any device. We'll work through what changes when you step up, the shape of the role beyond the clinical work and how the Aotearoa New Zealand system really runs, with reflective exercises and scenarios drawn from real practice here.
The Consultant Physician Role
+ Live Sessions
$700 + GST
Everything in the online course, plus four live sessions with Kevin Chen. Each is a small group, kept to Kevin and no more than three clinicians including yourself. Every session is 60 to 90 minutes of working through real cases and lived experience. Reflective and case-based, the sessions go beyond the course rather than repeat it.
Frequently asked questions
Who is this course for?
Physicians in their first one to three years as a consultant, senior registrars approaching Fellowship, and international medical graduates stepping into consultant roles in Aotearoa New Zealand. If you feel clinically ready but less sure of everything around the medicine, it's built for you.
Is this a clinical course?
No. It covers everything beyond the medicine: the accountability, the structure of the role, and how the Aotearoa New Zealand system works. Any clinical detail is there to ground the ideas in familiar situations, not to teach medicine. It's there to complement your specialty training, not replace it.
How is it delivered, and how long does it take?
Fully online and self-paced, around 6-7 hours across three modules. Most lessons take 20-30 minutes, so you can work through it over weeks rather than in one sitting. Your progress saves automatically, and it works on any device.
What's the difference between the two options?
The course on its own gives you all three modules and the full online content. The course with live sessions adds four small-group sessions with Kevin Chen for working through the material alongside a few others at the same stage. The online course is identical in both.
What are the live sessions?
Four small-group sessions with Kevin Chen, 60 to 90 minutes each, kept to Kevin and no more than three clinicians. They're reflective and case-based, built to complement the course rather than repeat it, and places are limited by the small group size.
How are the online sessions booked and run?
When you purchase the live sessions with the course, you'll be asked what time of the day will normally work for you between 12pm to 8pm NZT through Monday to Friday.
We'll then be in touch directly to arrange the best time for your schedule.
We'll then be in touch directly to arrange the best time for your schedule.
What if no one else can join the live sessions?
We'll strive to ensure at least one other person is able to join you in the live sessions. In the situation where we can't, and you're the only one able to join, the session will still run. It just means you'll end up doing a 1:1 session with Kevin, covering the same content but with more dedicated support and feedback for you.
Is it specific to New Zealand?
Yes. It's built around the Aotearoa New Zealand system as it actually works, including your obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and cultural safety, ACC's no-fault treatment-injury system, and the Code of Rights.
Can I record it for CPD?
Yes. You can record your time as self-directed CPD, and Module Two covers CPD, portfolios and quality improvement as part of the role.
Who made it?
It's shaped with consultants who've made the same move, led by Kevin Chen as clinical lead, and reviewed by our Clinical Advisory Board during development and before release.
I trained overseas. Is it useful for me?
Yes. It's useful for international medical graduates stepping into consultant roles here, so you're learning the Aotearoa New Zealand system and the step up to consultant at the same time.
What will I come away with?
A clearer sense of the role and where you fit, and practical strategies for the parts training has less room for, so less of it is left to learn the hard way.