The students, who come from all over rural and regional Victoria, will start the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical) at La Trobe in March.

First-year student Kieran Murphy said the Bendigo course would help him achieve his dream of becoming a doctor.

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"I had a few health problems when I was younger and what I really found was the doctors were the ones who could make the biggest impact on me," Mr Murphy said.

"Being a little kid and scared, the doctor had the most power to make me feel comfortable. That really sparked my interest in being a doctor."

Mr Murphy graduated from Marist College Bendigo last year and will move straight into the La Trobe course.

"I think there's such a major need for rural doctors," he said. "There's the massive shortage but they also need to find the right doctor for rural areas.

"It's a big thing to have a doctor that you can trust and understand you. I found when I was in Melbourne there was a bit of a disconnect in understanding what rural life is like.

"I think having that basic understanding is really important for when people come in for their check ups."

The biomedical science course provides seven years of training across two universities - La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne.

Students who successfully complete the three-year Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical) at La Trobe's Bendigo or Albury-Wodonga campus will gain guaranteed entry into the University of Melbourne's Doctor of Medicine postgraduate program in Shepparton.

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La Trobe Vice-Chancellor John Dewar AO said the course was helping those who live in regional and rural areas.

"Rural and regional communities have struggled to attract doctors for many years," Professor Dewar said.

"That issue has been exacerbated with the recent population growth resulting from an influx of city-dwellers to regional areas due to impacts of the pandemic.

"If the 15 students - together with 30 who are midway through the program, and many others down the track - take their skills back to areas like Hamilton, Swan Hill, or Mildura, they will be a huge asset to those communities."

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