It is without a doubt that Doctor John Dearin has been an asset to the Lithgow region since he began practicing here more than 20 years ago.
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After having his efforts honoured with the award of an AM on Australia day, Dr Dearin felt "Thankful".
"I feel deeply honoured, and very grateful to the communities for their endorsement. They're the ones who nominated me," he said.
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"I'm very grateful that that's what they think about me. So I feel deeply humbled, It's great privilege."
Dr Dearin's pursuit in medicine began at an incredibly young age due to a radio broadcast he listened to back in the 1950s.
"I knew I wanted to be a Doctor at the age of eight. I'm so much influenced by a very well known missionary doctor who worked in Africa," Dr Dearin said.
"I was so impressed by his work, I decided that's what I wanted to do. So I went off to medical school, and became a Doctor."
Dr Dearin has been a rural Doctor for 30 years, with most of that spent in the Lithgow region.
"My wife and I have enjoyed it [living in Lithgow] very much. We feel very much part of the community," he said.
"We feel honoured and privileged to be part of the lithgow community to be part of the health care of the people of this city."
Not only does he treat the patients, Dr Dearin is at the frontline of educating the country's future Doctors through his work with the local Notre Dame University campus.
Doctor Dearin also played an instrumental role in setting up the opportunity for students to be able to study in a rural setting, such as Lithgow.
"The University approached me in 2006 to ask if I consider heading up the Clinical School here. I said, "I'd be delighted"," he said.
And we the purpose of setting up the rural clinical school here was,that this is a small hospital, where doctors who practice here and do all sorts of things, not just one thing."
"I was really pleased to be part of that planning, not only of the hospital, but the university to set up the clinical scope here."
Dr Dearin said the first students attended Lithgow in 2008. He was appointed as a Senior Lecturer for the school in 2007, followed by his current Associate Professor role in 2011.
Teaching was originally a backup pursuit for him, but Dr Dearin has managed to incorporate two passions into one big career.
"As I mentioned, I wanted to be a doctor from the age of eight. And I thought, What if I don't get into medical school? What will I do?," he said.
"So I thought, well, if I can't get into medicine, become a teacher."
According to Dr Dearin, he would get high enough marks to enter medical school, but it didn't stop the desire to inspire future Doctors.
"I have been able to do both medicine, and teach because I love doing both. So really, medicine has enabled me to fulfill those lifetime. Dreams."
Dr Dearin also educates students at his medical practice and the clinic at Lithgow Correctional Centre.