Mr Gee singled out the medical school during a victory speech to his family and party faithful following Saturday’s federal election.

“It is the first priority for me as a new member to deliver and I am hopeful we can get a positive result,” he said.

The proposed medical school would be a joint effort between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and La Trobe University to address the shortage of doctors in rural and regional areas of NSW and Victoria.

CSU vice-chancellor Professor Andrew Vann said on Monday that Mr Gee had indicated strong support for the medical school throughout the federal campaign and during his time as the state Member for Orange.

There was no money for the medical school in May’s federal budget but Mr Gee’s support can only be a boost for the proposal.

“We were obviously disappointed that we didn’t get a mention in the budget but we are pleased Andrew Gee has made it a priority,” Professor Vann said.

“We will be working with him and the Coalition, if they do make it in, to make it happen.”

The aim of the medical school is to deliver doctors to rural areas by training students in a “rural-focused curriculum” that prepares them to work in those areas.

There would be a higher intake of rural students, at least 80 per cent, to “maximise the likelihood of graduates choosing rural practice”.

Students would study at Orange, Wagga Wagga and Bendigo campuses.

Professor Vann said the medical school would only run if there was capital funding and student places.

Both CSU and La Trobe University will continue to lobby the government for support of this initiative “the nation really needs”.

“We’ve been working on it for six years now. You never get a medical school overnight; there is a lot of work that goes into it,” Professor Vann said.