Terence J Boyle Occupation:Consultant general surgeon, lead breast surgeon and lead clinician at the breast care department, St James's Hospital, Dublin.
Personal/family: Married to Tanya with three children: Ben, Jordan and Zach.
What figure from the world of medicine or health do you most admire?Dr David C Sabiston, chairman of the department of surgery at Duke University Medical Centre, North Carolina, US, where I spent two years as an international research fellow in surgical oncology.
What other career might you have chosen?Architecture or civil engineering.
If you could grant three wishes for the health service, what would they be?That the healthcare we provide to our patients in Ireland is of as high a quality as that available in any internationally renowned centre of excellence. That all patients in Ireland have equal access to care of the highest quality, regardless of where they live or of their means. That information disseminated regarding hospital practices and healthcare professionals is at all times as accurate as possible.
What is your greatest fear?That Ireland might not, after all, win the rugby world cup this year.
Have you ever been a patient and were you a good one?Yes, twice - once in America and once in Dublin. I was perhaps too good a patient on both occasions.
When or where are you happiest?When travelling or on holidays with my family.
How do you cope with stress?When possible I go for long walks to clear my head before tackling difficult problems with a balanced outlook.
What is the trait you most admire in yourself?My ability to keep going until the job is done.
What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?The fact that I have to keep going until the job is done.
Do you use alternative or complementary medicine or therapies?Only when made to by my wife.
Who or what makes you laugh?My children's antics.
What is your motto? Carpe diem- seize the day.
What is your favourite TV or radio programme? Friendson TV and BBC's Five Live on radio.
What books would you bring to a desert island?Tim Pat Coogan's writings on the formation of the Irish Republic and its historical leaders.
In conversation with Fiona Tyrrell.