THE first medical students to complete their training at a North-East university for 40 years have attended a ceremony.

Sixty-nine students who enrolled on the Durham course will continue their studies at the region's main medical, school in Newcastle.

Nearly half of the students are from the North-East and are drawn from a much wider background than is usual for medical schools.

They include a number of students who gained places by completing a further education access course, followed by a foundation course, rather than following the traditional route of taking A-levels.

In three years time, after training in NHS hospitals across the region, the hope is that most of the students will opt to work as doctors in the North-East.

Students who completed the two-year pre-clinical medicine course were introduced to Sir Donald Irvine, former president of the General Medical Council, at the Queen's Campus at Stockton.

Dr Irvine, who completed his medical qualifications at Durham University in the early 1960s, was guest of honour at the event, which was hosted by Sir Kenneth Calman, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University and former Chief Medical Officer.

Professor John Hamilton, director of the Stockton course, said: "These placements allow students to gain access to parts of the community that are rarely reached through conventional health service postings."