NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner has launched a new program to address the shortage of skilled doctors on the South Coast.
Newly graduated doctors on the GP training pathway can choose, in their second year, to commence training in a rural town as a GP with advanced skills in either obstetrics or anaesthetics.
Nowra will offer two anaesthetics positions and Moruya will have one obstetrics position.
The doctors spend a year training in advanced skills in the hospitals and in the remaining two years of training they continue to provide advanced skills services to their local hospital and spend time in community practice under the expert training of a skilled general practitioner completing their GP training.
Mrs Skinner said the Rural Generalist Doctors program would produce "proficient doctors who are able to work both in community general practice and at rural hospitals practising advanced procedural skills".
"I have no doubt that their experiences in our wonderful rural and regional hospitals will do much to keep these skilled doctors in these areas," she said.
Mrs Skinner said the new doctors will now have a recognised career pathway.
The NSW Rural Generalist Training Program will train 15 participants annually.
This year the positions are at Tamworth, Maitland, Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Moruya, Nowra, Orange, Dubbo and Bathurst.
NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health, Melinda Pavey, said obstetrics and anaesthetics are two areas that rural local health districts have identified as "most-needed".