Surrey Hills-based general practitioner Dr Abhishek Kumar Verma has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours List, recognising his significant service to medicine, medical education, and medical administration across Australia.
The Governor-General announced the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours List, which recognises 948 Australians across the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards, and conspicuous service honours.
Recipients were nominated by members of the Australian community and assessed by the independent Council for the Order of Australia before being formally approved by the Governor-General. The Honours List celebrates Australians whose work has made a lasting contribution across fields including medicine, public service, science, education, the arts, sport, and community leadership.
“As Governor-General and Chancellor of the Order of Australia, I am delighted to announce and congratulate the remarkable Australians receiving honours in the 2026 King’s Birthday list,” the Governor-General said.
“Our honours system recognises outstanding people who contribute so much to Australia… their service and achievement in the community and public service, industry and academia, science, the arts and sport help shape our nation.”
This year’s Honours List includes 702 recipients in the General Division of the Order of Australia (including 5 AC, 40 AO, 183 AM and 474 OAM awards), 34 recipients in the Military Division, as well as 149 meritorious awards and 63 conspicuous service awards.
Dr Verma is recognised for his extensive contribution to Australian healthcare, combining clinical excellence, medical governance, and medical education.
He graduated in medicine from the University of New South Wales in 2008, where he was awarded several academic distinctions including the RANZCO Ophthalmology Medal, the Australian Cancer Council Medical Student Scholarship, the NSW Rural Doctors Network Bush Bursary, the Advancing Australia Fairly Prize, and an MDA Medical Elective Travel Bursary.
He went on to complete a Master of Surgery at the University of Sydney in 2014 and attained Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) in 2016.
Dr Verma has developed broad clinical expertise in general practice, with particular interests in minor skin procedures, mental health, chronic disease management, women’s health—including antenatal care, cervical screening, and contraceptive procedures such as Implanon insertion and removal—as well as child and adolescent health.
Alongside clinical practice, he plays a significant role in medical education, regularly teaching medical students and supervising doctors in training. He also serves as an examiner for the RACGP Fellowship examinations and has contributed to academic and professional assessment frameworks within general practice training.
His leadership extends across multiple health governance and regulatory roles. Dr Verma sits on the Victorian Medical Board under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and holds senior committee roles including Chair of Registrations and participation in specialist committees addressing clinical standards, cosmetic practice, and professional conduct.
He also serves on several health service boards in regional and rural Victoria, including Alfred Health and Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital, contributing to clinical governance, audit, and quality improvement. In addition, he is a director of Peoplecare Health Insurance, where he contributes to organisational oversight and strategic direction.
Dr Verma has been actively involved with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), including roles on the Victoria Faculty Council, Academic Council of Assessment, Court of Examiners, and expert committees focused on maintaining standards in general practice.
His academic contributions include peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as the Medical Journal of Australia, the ANZ Journal of Surgery, and the Journal of Ophthalmology, as well as contributions to medical book chapters and public health education.
In recognition of his professional excellence, Dr Verma was named both Victorian General Practitioner of the Year and Australian General Practitioner of the Year in 2022, acknowledging his outstanding clinical care, leadership, and contribution to the profession.
Outside of medicine, Dr Verma is a family-oriented practitioner who enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters. He is also a keen cricket enthusiast and enjoys culinary interests. He often spends time discussing medicine and healthcare with his brothers, who are also doctors.
The 2026 King’s Birthday Honours recognise Australians from all walks of life whose contributions have strengthened communities across the nation.
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