Raised in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Steven grew up in the township less than a mile from the once thriving steel town of Donora, PA where his dad grew up. From an early age, he loved sports. Steven’s family always talked about the local sports greats who went on to play pro ball. His great Uncle Jake who played at Notre Dame, and of course, Joe Montana, who went on to win 4 Super Bowl championships. However, Steven’s mom made it clear that organized football was off limits although she didn’t seem to mind the endless pickup tackle games every day after school during the fall.

Growing up, the importance of excelling academically was instilled in Steve at a very early age. His father, an educator, taught him that hls academics were a building block for future achievement. Dr. Repka explained his pursuit of the medical field, “I chose medicine because of my love of the sciences, and I knew it would be the best way to directly help people.”

Early in medical school, Dr. Repka discovered how important radiology was as part of gross anatomy studies. The head of his gross anatomy class, the late Carson Schneck MD/PhD, was also a clinical instructor for Radiology who helped develop the MRI protocols for Musculoskeletal Radiology at Temple. Dr. Repka continued, “He was the most memorable and beloved educator at Temple Medical School to most graduates for many reasons. The fact that he worked 101 hours a week for 51 years probably had something to do with that! It also could be that he greeted each and every medical student on day one and already knew us by our face and first name. Or, perhaps it was because he got up on the tables to teach at least once every lecture. He brought a human element to gross anatomy and radiology,teaching us it’s importance in clinical medicine.” It didn’t take long for Dr. Repka to discover that he wouldn’t stay in academics teaching Anatomy – he would pursue radiology.

Dr. Repka attended Pennsylvania State University and graduated with a degree in pre-medicine before attending Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed his radiology residency at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA before completing a Body Imaging Fellowship at The Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology in St. Louis, MO.

When asked how technology has impacted his role in radiology, Dr. Repka shared, “The high resolution now achieved in modern CT has made detecting subtle abnormalities much easier and allows us to be more specific in giving a differential diagnosis on imaging.” He goes on to explain how advancements in voice recognition technology and the ability to customize standard report templates has also made hls work more efficient despite the growing number of images in CT scans, 3D mammography and MRI studies.

Dr. Repka and his wife were excited to relocate to the mid-South and leave the winters in the Northeast behind when he joined Vista Radiology in 2009. He further explained, “I wanted to join a progressive radiology group who realized the importance of sub-specialization.” He admits, one of his biggest challenges is convincing himself to stop for lunch regardless of how busy his day is.

In his spare time, Dr. Repka enjoys traveling, spending time with his wife and son, and occasionally golfing if he has time to himself.