For regional radiographer Sabrina Lewicki, no two days are the same. While working as a grade 2 medical imaging technologist at Northeast Health in Wangaratta, Sabrina balances quality clinical care for her patients, with contributing to the education and professional development of the radiology department. Outside of work, you’re likely to find her playing local sports - tennis or netball - or enjoying the beautiful mountains and wineries in the region.

Sabrina grew up in regional Victoria. She moved to Melbourne for university - initially starting a science degree at Monash University, but an interest in working in healthcare led her to transfer over to a Bachelor of Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) and never looked back. After an intern year with a major metropolitan health service during the height of COVID, she felt the strong pull to return to a regional community.

“I decided I was going to have a bit of a landscape change - or a mountain change as they say - and move inland so working regionally for my graduate job. I just felt like being out regional again, so I thought I'd take a different direction and go somewhere new.”

Having completed two rural placements and an international radiography placement in Scotland as a student at Monash, Sabrina says these experiences prepared her to be independent and made the transition to a new working environment easier.

Pursuing a career in radiography with a regional health service means each day is different for Sabrina. Northeast Health has a wide catchment area including Beechworth, Bright and Myrtleford, providing diagnostic x-ray imaging to service members of the community who can’t travel as far. While Sabrina works mostly in general X-ray, she is also computer tomography (CT trained) and is currently completing her mammography training to be able to offer her patients access to even more imaging services.

“Despite being a smaller hospital, we offer a lot of services and have a 24-hour imaging department with a rotating roster. In a typical week, I’ll work a little bit everywhere. We also have a good flexible work environment. You could be up going for a hike in the morning and starting work in the afternoon - it’s a nice work-lifestyle balance with shift work in a regional setting.”

For Sabrina, what sets working rurally apart, is the continuity of care she can provide for patients. Rural radiographers are often required to provide a wide range of imaging services, which would usually be specialised in metropolitan settings and patients may go to different services or clinics for different aspects of their treatment and care.

“We’ll see our patients from their first presentation to the emergency department and are involved in their imaging experience - whether it’s diagnostic x-ray or CT. We might do their follow-up once they're in the wards, for example after an operation for their post-operative management and care. We’ll then watch them in follow-up imaging, being the only site in the area. You get to be part of that patient journey and really get to know your patient demographics. You might see people from the same family or region. In Melbourne, people might be discharged and go elsewhere. Here, you’re with the patient the whole way through.”

In addition to patient-centred care, Sabrina has a strong interest in education and supporting the radiography profession - both within her workplace and more widely across regional Victoria.  She is currently a member of the Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (AMSIRT) Victorian Branch Continued Education Committee, where she has helped run professional development activities, such as a winter weekend conference, for regional medical imaging professionals.

While only in the early stages of her radiography career, Sabrina’s next professional goal is to take on a clinical educator role within her health service, supporting radiography students on their clinical placements. For now, she sees her career remaining rural and continuing to serve her local community.

“I still feel that I have a lot to offer here in Wangaratta. I love what I do and I love where I work, I love the people and the location. I think we’re a service that's constantly expanding, so I’m excited to see what’s in store for this hospital in the next few years. I think rather than moving the patients away for care, we are looking at what can we offer them here. I encourage others to join me - being out regionally, you won’t regret the leap of moving from metro to rural - it’s got a lot to offer!”

Learn more about the Bachelor of Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours)