HUSBAND and wife team Dr Brenton Schuetz and Dr Nandini Subbiah have received NSW Rural Medical Service Awards for more than 35 years of work in rural communities.
They were among seven General Practitioners recognised by the Rural Doctors Network (RDN) in November during Rural Health Month.
Both received their awards at the Rural GPs Conference Dinner in Sydney in front of 300 peers.
Dr Schuetz received his award for service to Wauchope and Dr Subbiah for service to Wauchope and Port Macquarie.
Dr Matt McAlpine, Master of Ceremonies at the dinner, spoke about the work of rural doctors.
“RDN believes that few things are valued more highly by country people than the peace of mind that comes with having a ‘local doctor’ as part of the fabric of their community,” Dr McAlpine said.
National Rural Health Commissioner Professor Jenny May AM attended the conference and spoke with delegates.
“It’s the collegiality, it’s the networking and it’s the continuing professional development, where people who’ve got really important roles in our rural communities can get together and share stories,” Professor May said.
Dr Schuetz spoke for both himself and Dr Subbiah and thanked RDN and the Rural Doctors Association.
“We love the place, and it’s been a great place to live and work,” he said.
“We ended up doing all we wanted to do medicine-wise, and it’s been a great community as well,” he said.
He told the audience how they chose Wauchope after seeing it on a paper map in 1990 and deciding to drive there.
He also spoke about their daughter, now working in medicine, who “wants to be a country GP.”
Dr Schuetz said he hopes new practitioners working in rural areas have as much of a good time as they have had over the decades, living and working and practising in the bush.
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