Doctor downsizes for life in SC
BY EMMA BAILEY
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Dr Bernhard Kuepper has left a lot behind in Germany.
Timaru Hospital's new cardiology and internal medicine specialist Dr Kuepper lost 22 kilograms in preparation for his new life in South Canterbury.
Along with his wife and five children, they made the shift to Timaru four weeks ago from Dusseldorf, in search of a better lifestyle.
"I have dedicated 20 years of my life to high-speed medicine and did not see my children grow up. Now I want to spend the next 20 years with my family in a native English-speaking country and it will mean a big improvement in our lifestyle."
He spent four years as the head of the cardiology and implantable services at a private hospital in Germany. He plans to pass on his specialist knowledge in pacemakers and other heart technology while spending some time at the Dunedin Hospital cardiac ward as part of the requirements by the Medical Council to get his registration. He has also travelled to Asia to lecture on the subjects, most recently to India.
Another part of the residency process was losing weight.
"I lost the weight mainly for me, I wanted to get back to normal. I eat less and I work out for an hour every morning at 5am, drink lots of water and eat no sweets."
So far, settling in has been smooth but the family misses Dusseldorf on the Rhine, a city of fashion, shopping and culture.
"Where we come from there are roughly 20 million people living in an area the size of South Canterbury. I will miss the culture as there was always something to do and the area had its own symphony orchestra.
"It can be hard to understand Kiwis sometimes, they speak very quickly and I don't always understand the colloquial sayings."
- © Fairfax NZ News
