Trained in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, Paul has extensive knowledge and training in all facets of the surgical specialty. As well as having bachelor and masterate degrees in dentistry (BDS Honours University of Sydney & MDS in OMS University of Otago), and medicine/surgery (MB & ChB University of Otago) he holds a full surgical fellowship in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (FRACDS OMS), and was awarded with the honor of an ad eundem Fellowship with the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Faculty of Dental Surgeons (FDSRCS a.e. England), in June 2009, based on his international career achievement and qualifications to date.

Working with outstanding staff, and sustained by above-par relationships with major hospitals, specialist surgical providers, pharmacists, and the professional medical and dental communities, Paul is able to provide the key role in the team provision of complex multidisciplinary surgical Oral & Maxillofacial care.

As part of a long family tradition of Australian military service (beginning with his great grandfather in the Boer conflict, his grandfather's WW2 experience in Kokoda and PNG, and his mother's experience as a Lieutenant army nurse during the Malayan crisis), Paul is also a Surgeon Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Australian Navy, Medical Specialist Reserves and also provides civilian surgical support to the wider military community.

Paul is supported by a loving wife (Angela), and has three daughters Alessandra (born 1998), Mia (born 2005) and Gigi (born 2011) and two sons Kaleb (born 2006) and Massimiliano (born 2009). Born in Sydney (his family first emigrated to Sydney from Perth, Scotland in 1826), he has lived and worked in Newcastle since late 1999, and was first introduced to the Hunter area after working a brief stint at Royal Newcastle Hospital in 1989. Paul's family are a mixture of Scots, English, Italian and Swiss heritage, and Paul's children all maintain citizenships with Switzerland, Italy (EC), New Zealand, and of course Australia.

Paul has worked at the John Hunter, Royal Newcastle, Calvary-Mater Misericordiæ, Belmont and James Fletcher Public Hospitals, Toronto, Warner's Bay & Newcastle Private Hospitals and in a number of roles including psychiatric medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, and in public and private Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

With a full working and training background in trauma and emergency medicine and surgery, as well as dentistry, Paul eventually completed his full surgical training in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery after 16 years of formal training before returning to permanently settle in Newcastle with his family.€۬He is a full member of the AMA, ADA, and ANZAOMS.

MB ChB Otago

Bachelor of Medicine (MB) and Bachelor of Surgery (ChB), University of Otago. These degrees were conducted at the University of Otago, and together constitute a formal full-time 6 year undergraduate programme conducted through the University of Otago. The university is based in Dunedin, New Zealand, and was formerly called the University of New Zealand.

The Christchurch School of Medicine, located about 400km north of Dunedin in New Zealand’s South Island, conducts the final three years of medical clinical training. Following graduation, a one-year internship is normally completed in an Australasian Hospital.

Holding the Otago MB ChB entitles registration as a medical practitioner in Australasia (e.g. NSW Medical Board), and holders can practice the full scope of general medicine, or go on to specialty training.

Equivalent Australasian degrees are the MB BS, BM BS, BM BCh, and B Med qualifications. The US degree equivalent is the MD qualification.

Dr Coceancig is a holder of the MB ChB qualification and is fully registered as a medical practitioner in NSW. These qualifications served as his basis for medical specialty recognition with the Federal Health Insurance Agency, and therefore full surgical Medicare privileges.

BDS Hon's Sydney

Bachelor of Dental Surgery, with Honours, University of Sydney.

This degree was a five year, full-time degree which has been superseded by the combined 3 year undergraduate Science degree, and post-graduate 4 year Bachelor of Dentistry degree, conducted by the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney. The US degree equivalents are the DMD or DDS qualifications.

Honours degrees (USA/Canada equivalent is “cum laude”) are awarded to the top 10-20% of the graduating class. Other Australian universities award the “with Honours” appendage when completing a further 1 year research component.

Holding the BDS degree entitles registration with the NSW Dental Board to practice as a “dentist” or “dental surgeon”. These two terms are used inter-mutually, but do not imply specialist training or formal surgical standing.

The degree entitles practice in general dentistry, or for initiation of formal specialty training through a clinical Master’s programme.

MDS OMS Otago

Master of Dental Surgery, in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Otago. The MDS degree at the University of Otago, is a three year full-time clinical degree course (in OMS this is run part-time over five years) which holders can use as basic specialty training towards becoming Orthodontists, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Periodontists, Prosthodontists and Pedodontists. The appendage “OMS” specifically refers to the clinical programme being conducted in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. The degree is now effectively replaced by the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry qualification.

FDSRCS a.e. England

Fellowship in Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons Ad Eundem England.

When "ad eundem" is added, it is meant to imply an honarary degree. It is an award based solely on ones specialist qualifications and career achievements to date, and is aimed at rewarding the practitioner by naming him a Fellow of the College. Approximately 5-7 ad eundem awards are given each year on the anniversary of the Colleges founding in July, and only to National and International dental professionals of repute and standing. Other UK based College's also award the title "Fellow" to "Members" who have been seen to have been of higher standing than their "member" peers.

FRACDS OMS

Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in the specialist field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

This is the ultimate qualification for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, and represents the pinnacle of achievement and training in the specialty. Only holders of the specific letters of “FRACDS OMS” are entitled to full Medicare specialty privileges in Australia for OMS.

Applicants for the examination leading to the FRACDS OMS must be holders of both the MB ChB and BDS degrees, and have undergone four years of formal and approved clinical training in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. The qualification emulates the FRACS qualification for other surgical sub-specialties within medicine and surgery (such as general surgery, orthopedic surgery, cardio-thoracic surgery etc), and closely follows European, and US/Canadian training programmes in the specialty.

AMA

The Australian Medical Association. This is the peak representative medical representation body for all medical practitioners in Australia. Only registered medical practitioners can be full members of the AMA.

ADA

The Australian Dental Association. This is the peak representative dental representation body for all dental practitioners in Australia. Only registered dental practitioners can be full members of the ADA.

ANZAOMS

The Australian and New Zealand Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons.

This is the peak representative body of Australian and New Zealand Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons. Full membership is only offered to holders of the FRACDS OMS.