He points to his upbringing and a nurturing high school environment that set him on the path to where he is now. Attending Ellesmere College in Leeston, Logan was part of a small but talented group.

“So, the two famous people at Ellesmere College were me and Dan Carter, in no particular order,” he jokes. “In all seriousness however, for a small place the school had a lot of really good students – and we all pushed each other a bit.”

Leaving Dan Carter to embark on his own illustrious career, Logan left to attend the University of Otago, gaining his medical degree in 2003. Following this, he completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Ophthalmic Basic Sciences with Distinction, before moving to complete a fellowship in Vitreo-retinal surgery at Wellington Hospital. Moving to the UK in 2014, he completed a second Vitreo-retinal surgery fellowship at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.

Returning to Christchurch in 2015, he took up a position as a consultant ophthalmologist at Christchurch Hospital and joined the team at Southern Eye Specialists.

The competitiveness within his work remains constant, albeit with an inward-looking perspective.

“Internally there is that sense that I can do the next surgery better than before,” he says.

“There’s a lot that we do (in surgery) that is both very precise and very repetitive. Just getting the small elements perfect each time, that’s my little internal competition, thinking about it every time I go in.”

This drive also helps him to learn from others, a collegial approach that will find Logan, like other doctors at SES, regularly seeking to build expertise with collaboration and innovation.

“There are lot more resources available online nowadays,” he says. “You can watch videos of international experts performing surgery and source a lot more information about what is being done, and why. Then there’s the incredible team here – we can share any challenges with others and come back with the best result.”

Sharing knowledge and supporting others was a key theme when he served as chairperson for the recent RANZCO Branch Meeting in Christchurch. It was a role he found incredibly satisfying given it was in his hometown, a place he feels deserves more recognition.

“Having delegates from around New Zealand discover places like Riverside Market and seeing how the city has recovered from the earthquakes, well… it was important to me. It was great for them to see the city’s thriving again!”

Logan appreciated the focus on stress and burnout in the meeting, something that he feels is very topical in his line of work. He credits his wife Emma for the “incredible support to keep our home life thriving.” To help maintain a balance between the two worlds he attempts to leave his work life at work.

“I really enjoy getting outside to de-stress,” he says. “Mountain biking is great because it combines exercise with the benefits of getting out into the bush. I recently bike-packed the Paparoa track on the West Coast, which was absolutely spectacular and highly recommended!”

A working ‘relief valve’ can be vital when things become strenuous while managing the workload within his specialist areas.

“My sub-specialty area within ophthalmology is vitreo-retinal surgery which is, in very simple terms, going into the back of the eye, surgically removing the vitreous jelly, and then dealing with a variety of retinal diseases,” he says. “These procedures might involve taking out vitreous floaters, fixing a retinal detachment, or removing scar tissue from the retina in a patient with diabetes or an epiretinal membrane.”

The surgical techniques required to fix such conditions require a wide-ranging skillset.
“It’s also a part of the eye where other ophthalmologists don’t go, so it’s slightly tricky and technical and challenging, which I really enjoy.”

It is the beauty of the eye, and sharing that with training ophthalmologists at Christchurch Hospital, that really has Logan hooked on his work.

“Honestly, when you are supervising a training ophthalmologist and they look down the operating microscope for the first time and they suddenly arrive at the back of the eye, it can be exhilarating,” he says.

“Before then they’ll have only ever have examined the retina by looking in through the pupil. Now we are operating inside the eye, interacting with the retina in a range of ways, helping patients achieve better vision.”

“It really is an incredible thing – being able to help patients with complex problems see, and to share this magic for the first time.”