The graduates are among 15 students who were selected as part of the initial intake into Victoria's first end-to-end rural medical program.

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The program is run in partnership between La Trobe and the University of Melbourne and is designed to help solve Victoria's rural doctor shortage.

The students - who grew up across regional Victoria and NSW and were co-selected by both universities - have just completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical) at the Bendigo and Albury Wodonga campuses.

Two further students gained direct entry to the Doctor of Medicine (Rural Pathway) via the usual, application process, after completing La Trobe undergraduate degrees.

Minister for Regional Health David Gillespie visited Shepparton to congratulate the students this week.

Dr Gillespie commended both the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University on their successful collaboration.

"Congratulations to all the students on their graduation from La Trobe," he said.

"I wish them the best of luck as they embark on their further studies and thank La Trobe and the University of Melbourne for their work in providing this end-to-end rural medical program."

La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor John Dewar congratulated the 18 students for their hard work.

"We know that these students are stand-outs amongst their peers - not just for their ability and hard work, but for their passion to contribute to the regional communities they grew up in," he said.

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"As a university deeply embedded in regional communities, we are very proud of this program, and how these students will contribute to building the country's rural health workforce once they graduate."

Professor Dewar particularly acknowledged the three students who gained direct entry into the program.

"It is a testament to their extraordinary abilities, and La Trobe's high-quality biomedical science and pharmacy degrees," he said.

The rural medical program was announced in the Federal Government's 2018-2019 Budget, and involves a collaboration between the two universities.

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Thirty students commence in the University of Melbourne's Doctor of Rural Medicine each year, at the University's Shepparton campus.

A $6.5 million upgrade to the campus is expected to be completed in early 2022, including new student accommodation and expanded teaching spaces.

Fifteen of the 18 students will relocate to the University of Melbourne's Shepparton campus to start their Doctor of Medicine (Rural Pathway) in 2022 - while two have deferred their start date until 2023.

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