WESTERN Health has received its highest number of intern doctors this year to help alleviate the doctor shortage.

Each year the health service has received an increase of intern doctors, and this year seven new places were created, making a total of 51 interns.

The interns will work in the Footscray and Sunshine hospitals, doing rounds in general medicine, general surgery and emergency medicine.

They will also do rounds in rural hospitals to give them a taste of country life, as rural hospitals struggle to attract doctors.

Once they reach their second year as hospital medical officers, they will also do rounds in the Williamstown Hospital.

Western Health medical workforce unit manager Rosemary McKemmish said the increase was terrific.

“As time goes by and getting more increases it’s hoped the shortage will come to an end,” she said.

“It does create more work for the hospital to train the new doctors, but it also means that they can work normal hours and have a life-work balance.”

Across the state 508 interns have been placed in hospitals – an increase of 47 from last year.

Australian Medical Association Victoria vice-president Harry Hemley said it would provide a much-needed boost to the state’s worsening medical workforce shortage.

“These doctors will make an extremely valuable contribution to our hospitals and will provide much-needed support to experienced doctors who are working in the over-stretched public hospital system,” he said.

Ms McKemmish said the interns would work as fully-fledged doctors, but would be heavily supervised to begin with.

“They can make decisions, but at the start they will rely heavily on their registrar for help,” she said.

“Once they finish their one year intern, they will be able to register with the Medical Practice Board of Victoria.

“It’s important for the general public to understand that these people will become highly trained and highly skilled.

“They go through a long and arduous training program, which is understandable as they have peoples’ lives in their hands.” Intern doctor Mark Vella said it was a strange feeling to now be working within the hospital system.

“We now have a new target after being in university for up to six years, it will take some adjustment,” he said.

Another intern, Bronwyn Anderson, said it was exciting as she could now start working on people.

“I wanted to do this job because I will get to meet different people all the time,” she said.

“I think that will make for an interesting job.”

For intern Mark Daley being placed at Western Health held significance because his great grandparents helped raise the funds needed to build Western Hospital in the 1930s.