'I try to be the best I can be': Wagga radiologist recognised for decades of work

I-MED Radiology Network radiologist Dr Nicholas Stephenson has always been passionate about rural and regional medicine.

Coming from a family of doctors on his mother's side and led by his father who was a country general practitioner, Dr Stephenson knew at school age the medical field was his calling in life.

The 63-year-old worked as a doctor before progressing to a radiologist, and worked overseas in the United Kingdom and North America before moving to Wagga in 1996.

The move to a regional Australia was inevitable for the doctor, who saw the discrepancy between metropolitan and rural and regional areas.

"I wanted to be a doctor when I was in school and then I got into radiology because I've always liked images, but also I like the physics side of it and the practical application of high-end physics used in medicine," Dr Stephenson said.

"I always knew I would go country, which is why I'm here.

"There's a workforce shortage in the country so I thought I would try and work on the workforce pipeline."

Dr Stephenson immersed himself in the workforce challenges plaguing regional and rural Australia and made it his mission to address the issues any way he could.

"I wasn't confident in my ability to change anything but I realised there was a desperate need to address the rural medical workforce crisis, which 20-30 years ago was good compared to now," he said.

"As I started, you meet people along the way who have doing it longer and better who support, encourage and advise you.

"I realised there was such a disparity in access and equity to medical practitioners, and I love regional and rural Australia, and I want all of Australia to have equal access, so I thought I needed to do something."

The recognition hadn't been expected and Dr Stephenson said it came as a nice surprise.

"To me it's really great to see that someone from rural Australia has been recognised and that's probably the most important part of it," he said.

"I'm grateful and very honoured.

"It gives me renewed vigour to continue and try and achieve more, and I hope it encourages someone else in the medical field to do something."

With decades in the industry, Dr Stephenson said he continued to do the work because he believed his position as a radiologist could make a difference to people's lives.

"I try and be the best radiologist that I can," he said.