It is the third time the new Albury Wodonga Health intern has returned to his hometown of Albury, and all going well, this time it could be to stay.

This month Dr Waters, alongside 14 other interns, started their two-year contracts with the health service, at the end of which they have the option to stay or leave.

But more doctors who come to the region for training are choosing to remain, with AWH’s program credited as improving retention rates.

Director of medical services Jason Goh said of last year’s group of interns, just two had moved to metropolitan hospitals.

“There’s also a lot more graduates coming through and they’re filtering through the regional areas,” he said.

For Dr Waters, Albury Wodonga Health was his first choice.

He grew up in Albury, graduating from James Fallon High School, and moved in 1995 to study in Melbourne, where he worked as a radiation therapist for seven years.

A move back to Wod-onga prompted him to think about a career in medicine, which led to study at the University of Queensland. But now, he’s keen to settle in again.

“I’ve got lots of friends and family still here ... so being here has both personal and professional reasons,” he said.

“In the cities, hospitals have a lot of interns and you get the feeling you are in a sea of other interns.

“Here you get more one-on-one support. It is small enough that you get hands-on experience but big enough that you get plenty of experience and see a lot of cases.”

Fellow intern Murray Haar has found a similar sense of “homecoming” at Albury Wodonga Health, albeit for different reasons: his family descends from the Wiradjuri people and he was keen to work in the region they came from.

“It’s been a really easy, comfortable move,” said Dr Haar, who was raised in south-west Sydney.

“This (position) is not just about getting work, it’s about getting out and about and getting involved in the community.”

The 15 interns will spend the year on various rotations throughout Albury and Wodonga hospitals, at the end of which they will be fully qualified, before staying on for a second year.