Students set for exciting study in the PIlbara

Six new medical students have begun a year-long study internship in Hedland as part of a highly successful program that is helping to bring more doctors to the bush.

Alexander Armstrong, Tameka Ellard, Georgia Mather-McCaw, Jessica Osan, Angela Xu and Tim Robertson will spend their fifth year training to become doctors by learning from staff at Hedland hospital and health services throughout the region.

Rural Clinical School of WA Hedland co-ordinator Rob Whitehead said each year more and more medical students were seeking to train in the Pilbara in a sign of its growing popularity.

He said the six new students had beaten out competition from more than 20 others to win a place in the Hedland program.

"Word is getting out that Hedland is a great place to train," Dr Whitehead said.

Much of Hedland's popularity is based on the success of its past students, who have consistently outperformed many of their fellow medical students training in metropolitan centres.

New student Mr Armstrong said past graduates had told him to go to Hedland because he would be able to gain hands-on experience in a broad range of medical treatments, including flying to remote areas with the Royal Flying Doctors Service.

Mrs Mather-McCaw said she chose Hedland for the sense of adventure and because she had heard Dr Whitehead and the other local staff were "excellent teachers".

The new students also heard firsthand from past success stories of the program.

This included meeting former graduates and current Hedland doctors Stephanie Breen and Daniel Saplontai, who have spent years working in town after also formerly studying here.