Growing Up Baylor: Dr. Adil Ahmed
Imagine studying, training and eventually working at the same institution during the span of your career. A special group of physicians, faculty members, researchers and staff at Baylor College of Medicine have had this unique experience.
Dr. Adil Ahmed, assistant professor in the Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, tells us how training and working at Baylor has impacted his life and career.
Question: Did you always know you wanted to study medicine/science?
Answer: Funny enough, when I entered college, I actually thought I would go into finance. I started an investment firm with several friends in college, thinking we would grow it into a larger trading firm. However, I always had a strong interest in science and the workings of the human body. And I eventually realized that the fulfillment and satisfaction from treating and helping another person is unmatched. That led to further volunteering and shadowing experiences, leading me to the path I’m on today.
Q: Where and when did your journey with Baylor College of Medicine start?
A: I fell in love with Baylor as a school, the culture and the Texas Medical Center from the day I interviewed for medical school. I still fondly recall the moment of true joy, sitting with my mother and brother at our breakfast table, when I received the acceptance phone call from Dr. Stephen Greenberg (dean of the medical school at that time). I’ll always remember his opening words, “Young man, I just want to welcome you to the Baylor family.”
Q: What is your favorite memory from being a student at Baylor?
A: Rather than a single distinct memory, it is the bonds. There is a true culture of camaraderie at Baylor, instilled in us during our basic science foundational curriculum, clinical rotations and beyond. I made some of my greatest friends while in medical school at Baylor. Even now, we are all still very close. This is the essence of what the Baylor family is all about.
Q: What inspired you to continue working at Baylor?
A: After medical school, I left Texas for nearly a decade. I completed my orthopedic surgery residency in Tampa, Fla., and then two fellowships – hand and microsurgery at Emory in Atlanta and shoulder and elbow surgery in Sydney, Australia. I wanted to return to academic medicine for two reasons: the most complex and challenging surgical cases are always referred to academic institutions, and I enjoy taking care of difficult problems and seeing these patients regain function. I further value teaching and strive to be a great educator. When the opportunity arose to come back to Baylor, a place that made me feel at home all those years ago, it was an easy decision for me.
Q: What do you think makes the program at Baylor unique?
A: Our collective drive as an institution is to take care of every type of patient. We are the only institution in the Texas Medical Center, the largest in the world, that truly takes care of any and all patients. Accepting challenging and difficult patient cases and surgical problems is routine at Baylor. Being surrounded by similar colleagues eager to help patients with especially difficult problems, patients turned away by other institutions, builds our collective camaraderie and institutional excellence.
Q: Do you have advice for current trainees?
A: Immerse yourself in what you do. Being a doctor is not just one’s “day job.” To truly excel and provide consistent, high-level care, one must fully dedicate time during training to soak up as much knowledge as possible. Learning never ends. However, the time in medical school and residency (and for most doctors, fellowships beyond that) can really catapult one’s career and abilities upon starting practice. There are no short-cuts to success. Relish the struggle and the challenge.
Q: Do you have a mantra? If so, what is it?
A: My favorite Dr. Seuss quote: “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.”
