Paul Isaac, winner of the 2023 UOW College Staff Passion Award, is no stranger to hard work and responsibility.
Being the eldest in a Greek and Lebanese household, and the first in his family to pursue a career in medicine, Paul has had a lot to live up to. But his leadership skills and passion for helping others have propelled him into a satisfying and successful career.
Paul was born with cyclic neutropenia, a rare immune disorder which greatly impacted his early childhood. But his personal health battles gave him an understanding of what matters to him most.
“I had to take on the responsibility of my own health from a very young age, so as I grew up, my personality and my tendencies began to lend more to helping people.”
These traits influenced Paul’s decision to study medicine and begin teaching.
A pathway to success
In the second year of his undergraduate degree, Paul started working with UOW College as a Peer Assistant Tutor. As teaching opportunities sprang up at College, Paul’s involvement grew. Now, Paul is an academic tutor across multiple disciplines at UOW College, including anatomy and physiology, chemistry, medical sciences and biology.
Paul started his postgraduate degree in the Medical Doctorate at UOW in 2022 and continues to teach at UOW College alongside his studies. However, at the end of his first year of medicine, Paul’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It wasn’t easy juggling his responsibilities to his family, studies and career, but Paul wasn’t alone.
The community Paul found at UOW College allowed him to make the most of his natural strengths and abilities.
“My values really align closely with those of the College: Passion, excellence, integrity, teamwork, collaboration, courage… All these things are core to being a decent human being, and a pretty good teacher.”
Meeting students where they’re at
UOW College isn’t just a pathway to a university degree. Paul’s ability to “meet students where they’re at” has had a significant impact on their confidence as they pursue academic success and a future career.
Paul has seen these positive effects time and time again over the years.
“There was one older gentleman, a mature aged student who was constantly doubting themselves,” he recalls. With Paul’s support, the students’ attitude shifted for the better.
“They started backing themselves and trusting themselves and ended up being one of my best students that session.”
This commitment to individual success and personalised support is what UOW College aims to achieve for every student.
Finding what motivates you
Staying true to his strengths and passions has opened a world of opportunity for Paul. Now, he hopes to imbue his students with this same ethos.
“My advice to any student who is considering formal study or work is to ask yourself: what motivates you?”
“What do you want to do in this area of study? Why do you want to be there? Is this something you see yourself in long-term?”
Paul steers future students away from the influence of “extrinsic motivators”, such as money or pressures from family.
“When I was deciding what I wanted to do in medicine, I wanted it to be something where I could bring a lot of good.”
With aspirations to work as a trauma surgeon and make a difference in rural and remote health, Paul will continue to do just that. But endless positive feedback from past students shows that he’s already brought a lot of good to UOW College.
Paul is one of the many teaching and professional staff members at UOW College who are working towards transforming students' lives through education. If you are interested, we encourage you to continue to read stories about other staff members, students, or our community whom we have impacted.