Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/111490
looking for a challenge One of five children in his family, Dr. Ahmed was an intelligent and inquisitive student who loved a challenge. Ultimately, those are the reasons he decided to become a doctor. ���People in my countr y who did well academica lly either went to engineering school or medical school,��� Dr. Ahmed explains. ���I chose medicine, because I thought it would be more rewarding and more challenging.��� He graduated in 1967 from King Edward Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan, at the top of his class with medals in internal medicine, pathology and physiology. Concerned that he was not quite ready to actually practice medicine, he decided to go to the United States to learn more. So off he went, with only $25 in his pocket. ���At that time, the (Pakistani) government allowed you to have only $25 to photo CourteSy oF merCy meDiCaL CeNter, CaNtoN has given back to his current and past homelands to improve healthcare. And that���s one of the reasons he was recently inducted into the Society of St. Luke at Canton Mercy Medical Center where he has been on staff for almost 34 years. The Society of St. Luke is named after the author of the Bible���s third Gospel ��� a physician often known as the ���patron saint of physicians.��� Inductees are recognized and honored for their compassionate spirit of medicine and distinguished service to their patients, to the Medical Center and to the Stark County community. Dr. ahmed was recently inducted into the Society of St. Luke at Canton mercy medical Center where he has been on staff for almost 34 years. after receiving his award, he posed for a photo with his family (L-r) son, omar F. ahmed, mD; wife, Shahnaz ahmed; daughter, afshan ahmed, DDS; and son-in-law, paul guerrino, DDS. take with you, and that���s what I had when I landed at the airport in Chicago in 1968 ��� $25,��� laughs Dr. Ahmed. It was enough for cab fare to Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago. After a year of residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, he went to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Boston for two more years of internal medicine residency training, along with a year of hematology residency training. Then he moved to Cleveland for fellowship training in hematology at MetroHealth, which was called Cleveland Metropolitan Hospital at that time. Why Hematology/oncology? ���When I was in Chicago, I met a nationally renowned hematologist, Dr. Maxwell Westerman, who invented a bone marrow biopsy needle called the Westerman-Jensen bone marrow biopsy needle,��� says Dr. Ahmed. ���I was impressed with his kindness and compassion, so I decided to go into hematology at that point.��� Afterwards, Dr. Ahmed joined Kaiser Permanente in Parma where he met John Bauman, MD, who recommended that he study oncology and arranged for a sabbatical at Cleveland Clinic. ���Sometimes someone opens a door for you, and if you go through it, your whole life changes,��� says Dr. Ahmed. ���So I spent three months at Cleveland Clinic learning about oncology, and then I came to Canton.��� Today, Dr. Ahmed leads a group practice of five board-certified hematologists/oncologists, which includes Dina Rooney, MD, who joined the group in 1998; Noman Rafique, MD; Nagapra sad Nagajot hy, MD; a nd Gregory Manson, MD. A Massillon native, Dr. Manson came on board last summer to practice medicine in his hometown. pioneering practices Throughout his career, Dr. Ahmed has looked for ways to improve cancer treatments for his patients. An innovator early in his career, he was one of the first in the area to provide outpatient infusion services in his office. He also became involved in clinical trials early on to offer his patients access to the newest therapies. ���I���ve a lways been interested in MarcH -april 2013 ��� MDneWS.coM ��� MD News Cleveland/Akron/Canton |9