BEAUTY meetings three or four nights a week. That clearly had an impact on the family. I have tried to have as good a work-life balance as I can but I acknowledge there were many years when I just had to fulfill the obligations and get things done. I was away a lot and spent an awful lot of time in meetings or elsewhere.” However, he says that his grandchildren are the shining light in his life now. de Jager has five grandchildren under the age of eight, who he and Moyra happily help to look after part-time. When the subject of his grandchildren comes up, the amateur photographer immediately takes out photos of them and talks about his two daughters and their families with obvious pride. His family is also not the only place the soon-to-be retiree has regained some balance. The energetic 70-yearold has an evident enthusiasm for his hobbies including paddle boarding, hiking trips in Tasmania, fun runs, Monday-night tennis and vegetable gardening. He also mentions the librarian course he completed during his early years and that he was an early adopter of computers and the internet. “I have always been interested in computers. I actually did a part-time course at NSW University in electronics and built my computer in 1976. “I got my first laptop in 1986. If you put it on your lap it would break your femurs but it was a portable desktop. I still have the thing. It allowed me to connect to Bethesda, Maryland for medical information. People would come to me to do their medical searches.” This varied range of interests is a quality which has allowed de Jager to connect to his patients and a skill that has often found that the “next thing you know, you are running 20 minutes late.” And it seems that de Jager will not be able to step away completely just yet. He will be spending some time in his clinic until a replacement can be found as well as continuing to contribute to ongoing research. “I am still a Director on Opal which is a rheumatology database. We set clinical questions to get answered and there are enough companies that want things answered to have sufficient support. I’ll keep working on that and there are several papers we have got to get out in the next year.” Described as one of the last ‘old-school’ doctors, the mild-mannered and good-humoured grandfather will continue to fulfill his love of people with continued teaching commitments. “I have always taught at Griffith and Bond Universities and I was made a Professor of Medicine at Griffith, about eight years ago now. That‘ll end in 2018. It is open for renewal if I wish to keep going, which I probably will because it is not onerous and I really enjoy the interactions with students.” And his advice for the next generation coming through? “The advice I would give my grandchildren looking into medicine is to first ask them to examine why they want to do it and really realise why. You have to devote your life to it; there is a fair bit of sacrifice for yourself and everybody around you but it is unequivocally the most worthwhile thing you can do.” pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 63
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Nine
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