A medical student's family say the University of Otago interns caught abusing their overseas work placements are being used as scapegoats.

More than 50 final year medical students will be prevented from attending the graduation ceremony with their peers after they were found to have falsified papers to make out they were working in overseas holidays when they were actually enjoying holidays.

However, the mother of a medical student who will be allowed to graduate says the practice is well known, yet only a few are paying the price.

Tess Brunton reports.