Seventeen medical students are about to commence a 16-week placement at Bathurst Hospital as Assistants in Medicine (AiM).
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Bathurst Hospital is the only location in regional NSW participating in the new initiative, seeing final year medical students trained to provide support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The students in Bathurst are among just 200 in NSW that are taking on the responsibility.
Dr Ross Wilson, the director of Rural Health for Western Sydney University, said the AiMs will provide care to patients in non-COVID wards.
"They've got a role as, if you like, junior interns. They'll be doing a lot of the tasks that an intern normally does, with the exception of prescribing, that won't come until they're actually registered," he said.
"They'll be responsible for the aspects of patient care, record-keeping, procedures, etc and, depending on where they're working, this will involve not only the hospital, but it may involve some work in the community as well."
If a second wave of COVID-19 hits, he said these AiMs will be invaluable.
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole formally welcomed the new recruits on Monday.
"We're pretty excited that these 17 students are staying here and to be getting this additional training," he said.
The medical students becoming AiMs were asked to put forward expressions of interest to be assessed for the role.
Naturally, they are all excited to have been successful and been given the opportunity to extend their time in Bathurst.
Elizabeth Skalkos and George McKay-Goodall, who are originally from St George and Castle Hill respectively, said they have enjoyed their time in Bathurst so far.
"We get a really hands-on experience in Bathurst and we're really well looked after by the people in the hospital and really the community as well," Ms Skalkos said.
Mr McKay-Goodall added, "It's a really well supported environment and we do work quite hard, probably longer hours than our metropolitan companions."
They agree that their experiences in Bathurst have opened their eyes to potentially working in regional and rural areas when they are fully qualified.
"It has definitely made me more open to doing that as part of my future, it's definitely my plan to work in rural and regional areas of Australia," Ms Skalkos said.
"You definitely see the need when you're here first-hand; it's not something that you're just reading out of textbooks. Experiencing that definitely gives you a new outlook."
They are looking forward to the challenge ahead of working a little more independently.
"It's a little bit scary, a little bit nerve-racking of course, but mostly exciting and I feel that, especially doing it here, I'll be very supported," Mr McKay-Goodall said.
