Jordan Hardie: The woman’s doctor
HE is a sports fanatic who loves to read and go to the gym. He believes that if you really love what you do, you’ll find a way to make it work, despite any possible limitations.Obstetrician-gynaecologist (Ob-Gyn) Dr Jordan Hardie, 32, is patient, thoughtful and committed to family, friends, and dealing with his patients, who are mostly women. He told
All Woman that despite preconceived notions that women are hard to deal with, he enjoys interacting with them and catering to their health needs.“Obstetrics/ gynaecology is a dynamic and interesting field. It is a more positive part of medicine, and the interaction with mothers and soon-to-be fathers is great. It’s about providing relief to women for certain illnesses or concerns, and all in all it’s easier to see female patients as they are more likely to be compliant,” he said.But according to Dr Hardie, his interest was not always in medicine. Engineering was actually his first choice, and after completing his studies at St George’s College, he enrolled in the Pure and Applied Sciences department at the University of the West Indies (UWI), with hopes of becoming an engineer.“I had an interest in math and physics, but I was not good with making the pendulums. The practical aspect of physics wasn’t interesting, and I realised that engineering was not for me, so I tried medicine,” he said.However, his switch to medicine was not out of mere curiosity, as he had the influence of his father, renowned Ob-Gyn Dr Milton Hardie, and his now deceased mother, midwife Beverly Patricia Gordon.“Medicine was pretty much a part of my life. Eventually family and work met. My mom would come home and tell us what was happening at the hospital, and many times we would be waiting for our father in the car while he was finishing with a patient or surgery, then we could go home. So I sort of knew a few things, and once I started I took a liking to it,” Dr Hardie said.As a result, after he completed his bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery degree in 2008 from UWI, and spent some time through rotation in obstetrics and gynaecology, coupled with interactions from his father and his mentors Professors Joseph Frederick, Horace Fletcher and Dr Shaun Wynter, he decided to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology and received a doctor of medicine degree from UWI in 2014.Though he’s often judged by his youthful appearance, he says, he really enjoys his job and his day-to-day interactions with women.“Over time they appreciate my knowledge of my work and the enthusiasm with which I go about my job. After a few minutes when you speak to them and they see your interest and knowledge, the conversation becomes easy, with them expressing their concern and you offering the best form of treatment,” Dr Hardie said.He also mentioned that his areas of interest include high-risk obstetrics, and benign gynaecological surgeries such as fibroid removal, which he admits he took a liking to based on the numerous papers his father had done on the topic. He has also worked on a published case study on uterine torsion.Dr Hardie’s wish is to see improvements in patient education as it relates to health.“It’s the greatest form of empowerment. Inform patients about their conditions, let them know what is wrong, what we are trying to achieve, or how we are going to solve the problem. Then you’ll see the difference, as they will understand what to do and better care for themselves,” he explained.An avid fan of the St George’s Manning Cup team, Juventus Football Club, and San Antonio Spurs basketball team, Dr Hardie also enjoys giving back in the form of mentoring medical students and offering his support to St George’s.When he’s not in office, Dr Hardie can be found spending time with his extended family and his wife Kristen, or reading the likes of James Patterson, Patricia Cornwall or Ludlum.Part of his philosophy is to ensure that when you have climbed the ladder of success, you help someone else by sending the elevator back down.
