SOMERSET, Pa. -- With high malpractice insurance rates and low reimbursements, recruiting new doctors to Pennsylvania hospitals has historically been a huge challenge. However, one hospital in the Alleghenies has started a new program that will help them with their efforts now and for years to come.

Last month, Somerset Hospital became a teaching hospital. It has partnered with the Lake Erie College of Medicine and its three different campuses, including their program at Seton Hill. Hospital officials have already called it an early success with nearly 30 medical students scheduled to be on staff over the next couple months.

"What we're able to do is develop a relationship with these students, hoping they will return to the community," said Somerset Hospital CEO Mike Farrell.

Farrell said they've been trying to set up a teaching program for about 15 years, but as an independent, rural hospital it hasn't been an easy task. However, that seems to have turned around. They have students rotating with a pediatrician, E.R. doctors and a psychiatrist. In fact, Farrell said some of the students have already requested to come back to Somerset for their second and third rotations.

Jason Graber, a fourth-year medical student at LECOM said, there are a lot of perks to working in a smaller, community facility when it comes to hands-on training.

"The doctors down here in the E.R. have to do a lot of the work-ups that would normally be done by other physicians at larger places, so I guess that kind of gives the doctors here at Somerset more responsibility here in the E.R.," said Graber.

Hospital officials said it's not just the medical students who benefit from the new program, so do the doctors, which is reassurance for patients.

"Our physicians continue their education in order to be able to teach and instruct the medical students who are here to shadow them," said Farrell.