Dr. Robert Zorba Paster enlightens Canisius University: “Do not squander your life”

By Javohir Aminov, Assistant News Editor

On April 23, 2026, Dr. Robert Zorba Paster came to Canisius University in order to talk to pre-medical undergraduate students and others about his upbringing of his work in the medical field in order to educate people on how to flourish in life.

Dr. Zorba Paster is an American physician, clinical professor and was the producer of a radio show called “Zorba Paster on Your Health,” where he discussed personal health problems from his viewers, and informed them of a remedy for it. He helped numerous people for 35 years on Wisconsin Public Radio with his co-hosts like Tom Clark and Karl Christenson, where he educated people on accurate public health information and promoted wellness among all.

Although Dr. Zorba Paster’s show came to an end on Sept. 27, 2025, he still impacts his fans by continuously working on his weekly column in the Wisconsin State Journal, and his TV appearances on Channel 3000, News 3 Now. He is also the host of the “Stay Well with Dr. Zorba Paster” podcast, found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Dr. Zorba Paster touched upon Maslow's hierarchy of needs and explained the importance of having it in our lives. He then went on to a personal anecdote, noting that establishing a genuine connection between patients will bring elation from the family you are taking care of. One day, a 15-year-old girl came into his clinic who was about to go into labor, and Dr. Zorba Paster sent her to the hospital and urged her to tell her parents.

After doing so, she successfully gave birth and raised the child. He then reflected that the joy of family practice is seeing the people in the breath of their lifetime, and how they overcome these thorny challenges.

More on self-care and love, he was asked the question “How do you overcome despair?” He responded by saying: to love your family first, then love your family first and finally, deriving from number one and two. He states that family is what we make of them, and is the way we can conquer these inevitable feelings of hopelessness.

Dr. Zorba Paster then gave advice to young adults who are entering the field of future health care and medicine. He said when talking to the younger generation about the generality of their health and medicine, make sure you approach it in a careful way. These kids are vulnerable and are opening up to you, so take the proper steps to not discourage them and ruin their mood. The way you answer their questions makes a difference, so talk to them with compassion and love, while owning up to your mistakes.

Students and listeners of this speech found Dr. Zorba Pasters words to be impactful, as his parting words were: “Time is going by and opportunity is lost. Do not squander your life.”