Six degrees of Dr. DJ Haeussler

If you are connected with Dr. DJ Haeussler on social media, chances are that you have been enjoying his constant feed of graphic ocular disease images- including retinal detachments, corneal ruptures, and corneal squamous cell carcinomas.  If you are into eye disease, then Dr. DJ is your man! 

This Ohio native and board certified veterinary ophthalmologist has veterinary medicine in his blood, literally.  His father, Dr. David Haeussler was a small animal veterinarian in Cincinnati.  One of the things he enjoyed most as a child was listening to stories about his father’s work life.  It is no surprise that Dr. DJ followed in his father’s footsteps by attending Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.  While he was there he also met and later married his wife, Dr. Jayme Zimmermann Haeussler.  As a father of two boys, he has his fingers crossed that at least one of them decides to take up the family trade. 

Here’s some interesting things we learned about Dr. DJ:

Three qualities that got me where I am today:

Without a doubt, I believe in the phrase, work hard, play hard.  Working hard has pushed me to where I am today. I am an extremely big believer that you can outwork competition and outwork many problems that arise. But, I also know that you have to make time for your home life, especially as a father, and that means enjoying your time away from work.  

 I also believe that you are as strong as your team.  I am very fortunate to have an incredible team at my clinic.  We have a workplace culture that is focused on respect and open communication.  If there’s a problem we talk about it.  We listen to each other and while sometimes we disagree, we still have respect for each other’s opinion.

Best career vice I have ever received:

The best advice I ever received was from my father who told me to “focus on doing the absolute best job on each patient and for each client, and success will follow”. I have found this to be very true. 

How did you make your first dollar:

When I was 12 years old I started a lawn mowing business with a friend. We started out cutting lawns in our neighborhood.  In our first year we had 3 steady accounts. We were making money and learning about business.   By the time I left for college, our business had grown to  60 weekly accounts. Working hard helped me appreciate the value of money. 

 Movie with the greatest ending

Even though I am a diehard Ohio State University football fan, my favorite movie is Rudy- based on the true story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, who dreamed of playing football for Notre Dame- despite being small in stature. I really enjoyed the theme that hard work, perseverance, courage, and character can overcome even the most daunting of goals. 

If I could live in a foreign country it would be:

 Brazil, hands down.  I recently had the opportunity to lecture with some colleagues in Brazil and I was amazed at the culture, the people, and the food of the country. Of course the weather is simply amazing.

Worst pitfall of the job

The worst pitfall of being an ophthalmologist is receiving a case when it is referred too late.  Time is of the essence with eye injuries and when there’s a delay in care, it makes the treatment plan more intense. 

My perfect day would begin:

With a great cup of coffee! The start of every perfect day begins with coffee in my opinion and that’s how I start every single day!

Three qualities that matter to my friends

1. Loyalty: My friends know that I will always have their back and vice versa. 

2. Accepting: I try not to judge and accept my friends for who they are. They have different feelings, goals, and different personality traits. I’m not perfect, but I strive to be better! 

3. Trustworthy: My friends know they can trust me and I will do anything I can to help them.

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