But Associate Professor Allen-John (AJ) Collins's mind was set on helping people and removing large nodular goitres.

On board the world's largest civilian hospital ship, Global Mercy, sitting at 37,000 tonnes with an impressive length of 174 metres, and outfitted with state-of-the-art technology, six operating theatres and 199 hospital beds, AJ Collins was preparing for the operating theatre.

"We live on the ship and the hospital takes up two decks of the ship, and it's pretty modern actually, it sort of functions as a hospital the same size as South East Regional, but it's on a ship which moves from capital city to capital city in Africa," he said.

Dr Collins said when he wasn't in Canberra or Bega, there were people to cover his shifts, but Africa was different.

"If you're not here, no one's here."

Before his first day of surgery commenced, he said he was humbled by the Order of Australia Medal.

"It's honouring to get such recognition, but it doesn't recognise some of the people who are important, and so people like my wife, Belinda, jump into my head," he said.

"I can do things that I've been able to do and go places and take a lot of time out of home and family life and work life because of the incredibly supportive wife I've got at home.

"I said to her, 'Well, this is half yours because what you do makes this possible.'"

Dr Collins was one of five Bega Valley residents being recognised with an OAM this Australia Day - the others being Robert Johnson of Bermagui, Colin Dunn of Pambula, Darrell Hegarty of Merimbula, and Michele Bootes of Merimbula.