![Longtime general surgeon Dr Margaret Beevors (left) is retiring in several weeks. She is with Goulburn Medical Clinic practice manager, Maree Stapleton. Picture by Louise Thrower. Longtime general surgeon Dr Margaret Beevors (left) is retiring in several weeks. She is with Goulburn Medical Clinic practice manager, Maree Stapleton. Picture by Louise Thrower.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/246ca55e-ba78-4468-9dd0-4873cf58e900.JPG/r0_0_4288_2801_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Walk into Dr Margaret Beevors' practice room at Goulburn Medical Clinic and there's no sign of a computer anywhere.
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It's quite deliberate and the longtime surgeon knows she'll become "infamous" for the fact.
Instead she prefers talking to her patients.
"I take a history of them, get to know them as a whole person and do a proper examination of the problem," Dr Beevors said.
"I had so many patients say to me that doctors never looked them in the eye but were on the computer the whole time. I was determined no one would say that about me. You have to look people in the eye, talk to them and listen."
That brand of care typifies her 31-year tenure in Goulburn as a specialist surgeon, which ends in coming weeks with her retirement.
Dr Beevors was born and raised in Tamworth and at her father's encouragement, studied medicine at the University of Sydney. She worked as an intern, resident and registrar at several Sydney hospitals and in Tasmania.
While undertaking a Royal Australian College of Surgeons Fellowship back at Hornsby Hospital, Goulburn Medical Clinic rang in 1993 to say they were looking for a surgeon.
"I was offered a job at Hornsby at the same time but chose Goulburn because I'd grown up in the country," Dr Beevors said.
"I picked Goulburn because as a general surgeon I could (apply the full range of my training). It was a very big learning curve."
Soon after her arrival she also became a visiting medical officer at Goulburn Base Hospital. Dr Beevors joined surgeons Jarvis Hayman and Tom Lyttle at the facility. She credits them and the likes of Dr Jack Micklethwaite and Dr Ramasamy with providing invaluable guidance and help.
Over several years, Dr Beevors and Dr Lyttle were the only two general surgeons and both were on call every second day. At the same time she balanced full-time work at Goulburn Medical Clinic.
"It was pretty demanding," she said.
Along the way, Dr Beevors developed a keen interest in breast cancer surgery.
"I find it the most fascinating area. The treatment has changed so much in the past 30 years. Dealing with the oncologists is (also) very interesting," she said.
"The survival rate has increased greatly but the women are the best people. It's like they've joined a club that turns them into special people. They become strong and resilient and it's wonderful to keep seeing them year after year."
But rather than take any credit, Dr Beevors is quick to say surgery is just one part of the overall treatment.
She says Goulburn is well serviced in terms of breast cancer support, including a specialist nurse.
Dr Beevors brought her own approach to clinical practice and surgery.
"I was trained to make an assessment with my eyes, ears and hands but they don't do that these days...they just get scans," she said.
"Young people don't take a proper history and do a proper examination. I worked in hospitals during my training where there was no ultrasound or CT scan and you just had your eyes, ears and hands. Patients didn't do any worse because we were trained to do clinical assessments."
![Dr Margaret Beevors with Goulburn Medical Clinic practice manager, Maree Stapleton (left), office and nursing staff. Picture by Louise Thrower. Dr Margaret Beevors with Goulburn Medical Clinic practice manager, Maree Stapleton (left), office and nursing staff. Picture by Louise Thrower.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/197b7514-44fc-47d3-b99d-735fe32ad996.JPG/r295_10_4011_2745_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Dr Beevors said today's Goulburn Hospital operating theatre is well equipped and efficient, right through to recovery.
"The whole operating complex is absolutely beautiful and well set up," she said.
In more recent years Dr Beevors has cut back to four days a week at the clinic and hasn't been on-call at the hospital since last October.
The decision to retire had been difficult but said there had been many highlights in her career, including her time at Goulburn Medical Clinic.
"It's great. (Practice manager) Maree Stapleton looks after me very well. I just want to be a doctor that cares for patients, not look after finances and computers etc and she just does it all for me," she said.
"I'll reflect very fondly on my time...I've loved the people of Goulburn and surrounding areas and the fact they come from miles away to see me. Country people are just lovely."
Dr Beevors plans to stay in the city and continue playing the organ at Christ Church, West Goulburn, where she worships.
The hospital has held farewells for her and cards and presents have poured in from grateful patients. The clinic will also hold a dinner for her in late July.
Mrs Stapleton said Dr Beevors had made "amazing."
"She's been wonderful to work with and for and has made a big contribution," she said.