The Health Minister has pledged $8 million to fund 60 new internship places in regional private hospitals next year.

Federal Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek made the announcement to help resolve internship shortages and keep doctors in the bush, according to reports. Some authorities have already said it is not enough to plug the gap in internship places that dissuades medical practitioners from going rural.

There are plenty of students wanting to work in isolated areas, according to Medical Deans President Peter Smith from the University of NSW.

"If they can do their internship there, they may go into a general practice training program or into one of the other specialties where training is established in regional Australia. (But if) they can't get an internship they have to go back to the city."

Some reports claim an internship shortage last year affected about 180 international graduates who had planned to continue training in Australia, though last-minute government funding allowed around 130 to stay on while the remainder pursued internships elsewhere.

The Australian Medical Students Association acting president Steve Hurwitz says this year’s funding has been issued in time: “It helps provide certainty for students graduating this year,” he said, “however, 60 may not cover everyone. We are concerned that it's not going to be enough and we're still going to lose medical graduates overseas... we're going to need to expand the number of specialty training places, including in general practice.”

The AMSA says the funding falls short of the required amount to end what they have termed the ‘internship crisis’.