Tamworth to see increase in doctors as new website draws medical students to the country

The Regional Medical Training website will now make it easier than ever for student doctors to understand the rural training opportunities available for them.

Based at the Tamworth Education Centre, Clinical Dean Dr Lauren Cone said the website would provide students with a "one stop shop" of information about learning and working in the country.

"The traditional path has been that you go to one of the major cities to do your training," she said.

"We're really trying to get the word out there that rural areas have heaps of training opportunities."

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Dr Cone hoped the website would not only get students studying in regional communities, but also get them to stay here for work.

"It's so important for people in rural communities to be able to have access to health care," she said.

"The more time they spend doing their training in a country area the more likely it is that they will settle in this area."

Fulfilling Dr Cone's wishes is Junior Doctor Matthew Martin, who swapped city life for the country when he chose to continue his training in Tamworth this year.

"Everyone I had spoken to who had experience in Tamworth really loved it," he said.

"It's exceeded my expectations for sure."

Mr Martin said what he loved about working in Tamworth was the diverse practical opportunities and the people.

"You get a chance to develop closer relationships as a student with the actual doctors," he said.

"It's nice to feel like you're actually contributing instead of standing around observing."

After studying in Tamworth Mr Martin said he now had a passion for rural and regional health and had decided to come back next year to work as an intern at Tamworth Hospital.

"Working regionally or rurally is definitely really attractive to me," he said.

"One of the big reasons why I'm coming back next year is because I really loved working with the interns this year who have been so supportive of me."

Hoping to get more passionate doctors to Tamworth Dr Cone said the new website would give students the resources and information they need to make the move to the country.

"Part of the website is to give people that support and local knowledge about how to navigate what is actually quite a tricky system of medical training," she said.

"The more support we can give people in making that big leap, the more likely it is they'll have a good time."

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