A good teaching hospital was what Dr Gillian Skardoon was after, but it took a bit of travelling to find it. ``I did physiotherapy in Queensland, then postgraduate medicine in Western Australia. I came to Geelong as a medical student for a six-week elective and loved it so much, had so much fun, it was a really good learning experience. So I decided to do my internship here.

"Geelong is absolutely fantastic, we have a ball down here. I have found it really easy to blend in, made lots of friends, the hospital is such a good community. I have got to know my neighbours, I have developed friendships outside the hospital as well.''

The GeelongHospital emphasises the practical approach to medical training. ``We have teaching sessions,'' Dr Skardoon explains, ``but we do a lot of teaching on the run and we do a lot of hands-on. We have a lot of responsibility, but really good support at the same time _ a lot of input with our consultants and registrars. We do more hands-on than I ever expected. Doing a gastroscopy for the first time was amazing, such a good feeling.''

 Dr Skardoon is currently doing a surgical rotation and loving it. "My registrars are amazing, and surgery has inspired me so much I am considering it as an option. "I do like gastroenterology as well _ I find the bowels quite interesting, I like the procedures. In surgery I have sat in on a lot of rectal surgery and assisted as well, so I am very fortunate.''

Outside the hospital, Geelong is well located, Dr Skardoon finds. "I go to the beach, I love swimming, I do yoga and I am going to try and start art classes again. It is great to explore, the other weekend I found Point Lonsdale, it's just beautiful.''

Ambitions take different forms, Dr Skardoon's is simply stated. "I just want to be a good doctor, I have a strong motivation to be a good doctor and Geelong is helping me become that.''

Dr Mark Lycett is a medical registrar at Geelong where he has been since he arrived as an intern. He is now on the physician training program. "I signed up for the physician training program in 2007. I had been at Geelong for three or four years, rotating around as an intern and resident. I find the work rewarding as well, it can be a challenge. I like to think that you can do some good to some people, some of the time.

"Geelong Hospital is large enough to give you a good, broad exposure to all areas of medicine, including paediatrics and obstetrics, which you don't see at some other tertiary hospitals. It is also small enough that it is not impersonal, when you turn up you know a lot of the people there. I like my job but I also like the people I work with. Being an intern at Geelong you get exposed to more procedures, actually doing things more hands-on than you would at a larger institution.''