The fourth year Western Sydney University (WSU) students will undertake studies while they attend clinical placements across different sectors of the hospital.

This is the ninth year the university has sent its students to Bathurst for the year-long placement to give them a fresh insight into possible careers in medicine.

Sydney man James Grogin is among the cohort and he is the 100^th person to be welcomed through the doors of the rural program since 2010.

“We’ve all been so excited to have a change,” he said on his first day at Bathurst Hospital.

“We wanted something completely different.

“It’s more hands-on experience here [at Bathurst Hospital]. There’s only 16 students compared to 60 in a regular clinical school [at a Sydney hospital].”

While all the students still have a while to go before they graduate, one aim of the rural placement is to encourage the student doctors to consider a job in a regional location when they are qualified.

“I think 12 months is a very good time to see if I want to do it in the future,” Mr Grogin said.

WSU director of rural health Dr Ross Wilson said the objective of the program was to create a “robust pipeline of future doctors for rural areas”.

“A number of students who participate in the 12-month Bathurst placement choose to come back to complete their internships,” he said.

“While studying in the region, these students will get practical experience working in all areas of medicine ahead of their final exam this time next year.”

WSU rural program co-ordinator Jane Thompson said student numbers have doubled since the program started.

Students will wind up their first week of placement in Bathurst by taking part in a farm safety day and multi-disciplinary simulation session at a working farm this Saturday.

The training session will also include nursing, paramedicine, social worker and radiology students.