The Hunter's hospital workforce will be boosted with international doctors who graduated through a program that helps them get registered to practice medicine in Australia.
Dr Breno Almeida Vaccarezza is among 13 international doctors who just graduated from the program.
He's now working in Belmont Hospital's emergency department as a resident medical officer.
Dr Almeida Vaccarezza, 42, said the program provided a "nice opportunity to be assessed by real specialists and real patient cases in the environment we deal with every day".
"I knew a lot about medicine but this assessment gave me an understanding of the Australian medical system."
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the six-month assessment program helped international doctors "gain their general medical registration in Australia and join the NSW workforce".
"This program is providing vital guidance to international doctors who already face multiple challenges settling into a new country, preparing them for roles within our fantastic medical teams in our busy local hospitals."
The doctors undergo bedside assessments every fortnight and receive constructive feedback, guidance and support, with a focus on cultural integration, professional expectations and clinical skills.
More than 300 international doctors have graduated from the program since it began in the Hunter New England Local Health District in 2011.
Mr Hazzard said the program is "leading the way in Australia" and "now being replicated" at about 20 centres across the country.
Dr Aditee Parab, an intensive care specialist at John Hunter Hospital, was one of the first doctors to complete the program after arriving in Australia from Mumbai.
"It helped me grow as a doctor in the Australian medical system," he said.
The health system has been under great pressure during the pandemic, with hospitals dealing with staff shortages and burnout.
Nurses and midwives went on strike four times this year, citing numerous concerns.
And the GP shortage has increased the burden on hospitals, so more doctors make a big difference.
Dr Almeida Vaccarezza came to Australia from Brazil in December 2017.
He said violence in his home country was what made him and his wife leave.
"My father and grandfather are doctors, so I was raised in this environment. I could not get away from it," he quipped.
"As a doctor, I try to help people as much as I can. It doesn't matter if it's the king or anyone else, I will treat you the same way. I just want to make people better."
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