Bendigo Health’s acting Chief Medical Officer Mark Savage said that it was great to see so many medical graduates opting to further their training here in Bendigo.

Dr Savage said Bendigo Health offers a comprehensive intern program in many areas.

The new interns began with orientation before they turned their focus to general medicine, general surgery, emergency, renal, oncology, orthopaedics, cardiology, psychiatry, general practice, rehabilitation, geriatric medicine and urology.

“Working as a junior doctor can be very rewarding and also very demanding,” he said.

“The internship provides new doctors with an opportunity to further develop their skills in a supported environment.”

Most of the interns that began with Bendigo Health are graduations of Monash and Melbourne universities while others have come from other medical schools.

Monash University works closely with local practitioners and Bendigo Health to train medical students in their last three clinical years.

The interns will be closely supervised bu other Bendigo Health staff but will be responsible for prescribing medications, seeing patients and coming up with treatment plans.

The number of interns Bendigo Health takes on has grown in recent years.

“It used to be 32. Our students tend to do really well, they are usually in top quarter of the final exams,” Dr Savage said.

“They are a good bunch doctors and we’re quite happy to get them. 

Dr Savage said a majority of last year’s junior doctors continued work in the Bendigo and Loddon Mallee regions.

“This is good news for Bendigo Health and residents in the Loddon Mallee region,” he said.

“Interns who are training with us are also choosing to continue to live and work here in Bendigo and throughout the Loddon Mallee region.”

After completing the internship, the junior doctors will spend a couple of years in the health industry before deciding on a specialty or career path.

“They usually take a couple years to find feet and think about what they want to do,” Dr Savage said.

“They don't have to just follow the treadmill. There is a freedom after this year to decide what they want to do to develop.

“Some might go overseas for a bit but they return with more experience. 

“If they train as a physician, surgeon or psychiatrist there are rules about where have to work.”