NZ's education the draw-card for doctor & family

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 533, 26 April 1994, Page 11

NZ's education the draw-card for doctor & family

Bv

Michele

Monaehan

Doctor Karl Schmidt BA Hons, MB, ChB has moved from South Africa to take up the doctor' s position at Waiouru. He is contracted to stay in Waiouru until January 1 995. Dr Schmidt has had a varied career, statting with a PA Hons in Dutch literature. He taught at the university of Fort Hare, (where Nelson Mandela did his law degree) for four years. Dr Schmidt entered medicine at 28 and in 1981 spent a year as houseman at Kimberley Hospital and a further six months as senior houseman in surgery. He then moved on to study Paediatrics at Pretoria Hospital. Dr Schmidt then spent 10 years in general practice and in 1993 took up psychiatry. He hopes to continue his

studies in New Zealand. Dr Schmidt is married to Leoni who has a PhD in Art History. They have three children, Kari, Lydie and Barry. Kari is the oldest at three, and was born after they had been married for 19 years. Thinking it was just a fluke no precautions weretaken, and 15 months later twins arrived, now aged two. They chose to move to New Zealand because it offers a high standard of education. They said education in South Africa is suffering, with money supplies "virtually cut off '. Racial tension was not a factor for moving but "it is basically a very difficult time for all South Africans," he said. Dr Schmidt had the chance to go to Waikato university but opted for the seclusion of Waiouru to have some "getting together time again". He says he likes the "pastoral type of situation". "New Zealand people are definitely the most friendly people I've met in my life," he says. Their previous home town of Randburg gets quite cold, so that won' t be new to the doctor and his family, but snow is a different story. Waiouru had a light snow fall on Thursday night, and Dr Schmidt is probably right when he says there are a few more to come.