The Government's voluntary bonding scheme to encourage new health graduates to go to hard-to-staff areas has attracted mostly nurses to Southland.
At least 34 nurses, three midwives and 13 doctors have come to Southland under the scheme, which is in its third year.
This year 18 nurses, four doctors and one midwife have signed up to the scheme.
They are among 429 recent health graduates planning to work in areas or specialties where staffing has been difficult.
Health Minister Tony Ryall said there were 1830 people in the scheme nationally.
In the South Island, the West Coast and South Canterbury are also regarded as areas which are difficult to staff.
Doctor specialties on the hard-to-staff list include general practice, general surgery, psychiatry and rural hospital medicine.
For nurses, while six specialties are listed as being hard to staff, preference will be given to graduates who intend to work in aged care or mental health.
The scheme offers student loan write-offs or cash incentives for three to five years.
Mr Ryall said everybody who applied for the scheme had again been accepted for it.
"Workforce shortages are a major challenge in health, and schemes like this help keep young graduates here. It is great news the scheme is oversubscribed again this year," he said.
