Dr Cameron Korb-Wells - who applied for a job at Bathurst Base Hospital before he'd even received his HSC results - is the latest recipient of the Kelso High Decade Award.

The award recognises a student who completed their secondary education at Kelso more than 10 years ago and has gone on to achieve outstanding success or to have excelled in their chosen field.

This was the 24th year of the award and previous winners include a genetic researcher, actress, international architect and film-maker.

The young Cameron was already saying that he wanted to be a doctor and find a cure for cancer when he was in primary school.

He began year seven at Kelso High in 1998 and was always a high achiever.

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Throughout his secondary schooling, Cameron earned many high distinctions and distinctions in a wide range of mathematics, English, science, economics and computing competitions.

He took part in work experience in general practice, surgery, pharmacy, radiology and physiotherapy and applied for a job at Bathurst Base while waiting for his Higher School Certificate results.

Having finished as dux of the school, he enrolled as an undergraduate in 2004 in a new curriculum path offered by the University of NSW which involved working with patients from day one.

He was awarded his Bachelor of Science (Medicine) Honours Class 1 from UNSW in 2007 and this was soon followed by a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (Honours Class II) in 2009.

In 2013, Dr Korb-Wells was awarded his third degree, a Master of Public Health and Master of Health Management.

He took on the role of assistant secretary/treasurer of the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation in 2015 and, in 2017, became a councillor with the Australian Medical Association NSW Council.

Dr Korb-Wells was also the clinical superintendent of medicine at Concord Repatriation General Hospital, as well as honorary medical officer geriatrician for Western NSW Local Health District.

In 2018, while still based out of Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Dr Korb-Wells added the roles of staff specialist geriatrician, acting deputy director, medical services and acting medical director, National Centre for Veterans' Healthcare to an already full CV.

International media executive Owen Franks was last year's Kelso High Decade Award winner.

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