"Ordinary people"can make it in the world of medicine according to Associate Professor John Birks, who encourages biomedical and other science-based students at CQU to think about medicine as a career.

"Many people have felt that you had to go to the best school in a capital city to pursue medicine...no, we want people with good communications skills. We'll take them on and make good doctors out of them right here," said Professor Birks of the Rural Clinical School.

The school, associated with University of Queensland's medical program and based in Rockhampton, enables medical students to complete their third and fourth years of study and clinical training outside of Brisbane.

"Our aim is to get ordinary people into medicine. We are not wanting to make researchers, but everyday doctors," explained Birk.

CQU's biomedical program offers an excellent foundation for students wanting to pursue medicine as a career, according to Graham Pegg, Program Coordinator for CQU's Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

"It's an excellent stepping stone to get students ready to study medicine," he said.

He praised the Rural Clinical School as a way of getting more doctors into regional Australia.

Professor Birks spoke to a group of CQU students this week about why they should consider medicine, how the Rural Clinical School works and how they could apply.