When you hear the name Dr Samuels, a certain Dr TK Samuels from Shortland Street could come to mind. But our very own real-life Dr Samuels is based right here at Middlemore Hospital and he’s aiming to be an ophthalmologist.
Dr Isaac Samuels, the real one, graduated from the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences last year and started here as a junior house officer only a few short weeks ago.
“Middlemore was my first choice of hospital to work at.
“I love this place and I love South Auckland, so Middlemore ticked all of the boxes for me,” Isaac explains.
Dr Samuels did his trainee internship here at Middlemore Hospital.
“It is a great place to work. The staff here are passionate and there is a real sense of camaraderie.
“There is no better place for a young doctor to train and get exposure to a diverse population and see a variety of health conditions,” he says.
Issac, whose iwi is Ngaati Hauaa, Ngaati Tuuwharetoa, Waikato-Tainui, grew up in central Auckland, and describes his upbringing as ‘a bit sheltered.’
His koro (grandfather) lived in South Auckland and he would often visit and says because of this, South Auckland, too, felt like home.
When Isaac’s koro became unwell and moved in with the whaanau, Isaac became involved in his care and his interest in Maaori health only grew, and with each trip to his marae leading to a heightened awareness of just how many of his people required and deserved quality healthcare.
“A big reason I wanted to work here is because of the demographics and diversity. We have a large Maaori and Pacific population and helping people, especially my own people, is why I got into medicine.
“When you can relate to your patients, it can be easier for them to trust you. This is why it is important to have more Maaori and Pacific in the health workforce - because our population is diverse and healthcare needs to be diverse to support everyone and in turn, we may achieve better outcomes for them,” says Isaac.
Isaac hopes to see a Maaori and Pacific Service grow but in the meantime is loving his work here at Middlemore
Thanks for sharing your story Isaac.