Ok
Firstly when you get here get a car. Make this your priority.
Check out
www.thewestclassifieds.com.au/ $2-3000 should get you a decent enough van/car to get you around
Public transport in Perth is crap don't rely on it for longer than you have to. Plus with a car you can get out of town and have a look around whilst your here.
Then look at a decent place. Some suburbs around PMH are subiaco, wembley Nedlands, Mt Hawthorn, West Perth. Check out Google Earth or Google Street view. Good place to look for a rental is www.realestate.com.au.
Personally i would recommend Fremantle area. Although you are away from work Freo has a good vibe and is close enough to more spots than you can poke a stick at. again check google earth.
Sometimes people look for house mates here. Go to thew general section at the top of the page, post an ad you might get lucky.
Hospitals sometimes give their interns cheap places to stay explore this option if you can. Its worth it.
Anyway good luck hope it works out for you.