Dr Faisal Qureshi, an alumnus from AKU’s MBBS class of 1993, has to balance a number of responsibilities in his medical career. Besides being a busy paediatric surgeon at the University of Texas Southwestern’s teaching hospital, he is also a prolific medical researcher and one of the main figures overseeing the recruitment and education of young surgeons through the institution’s residency programme.
His varying roles mean that he receives over a hundred emails a day; many of which
Dr Qureshi (second row, centre in blue shirt) and medical college students come together for a group photo after the lecture.
come from students, junior researchers and doctors seeking advice. Despite his busy schedule, Dr Qureshi is keen to guide young professionals and he recently returned to his alma mater to pass on tips and suggestions about careers in medicine to current students.
Dr Qureshi is part of a group of alumni involved in raising a donation of US$ 250,000 for the University to mark the 25th anniversary of their graduation. A firm believer in the importance of fostering strong ties with one’s peers in university and at the workplace, he advised students to stay connected with those around them.
“The relationships you build will give you access to opportunities and unique perspectives. As you build your own careers, these links and insights will enable you to maximise the impact of your own initiatives,” he added.
During his talk, Dr Qureshi also urged students to seek out mentors in their respective fields. He shared examples of students who got in touch with him pointing out that those who had a clear idea of the advice they needed, and who wrote to him in a concise, timely manner, were more likely to be noticed.
“Be willing to volunteer and be enthusiastic. If the person you’re contacting can trust you to deliver and knows that you’ll respect his time and advice, you’re much more likely to form a connection that will help you professionally,” Dr Qureshi advised.
During his speech, the alumnus also shared insights about what it takes to build a successful career in surgery. He stated that the field of surgery was much more competitive these days which meant that excellent grades were a prerequisite for most programmes.
Beyond obtaining the best grades, he urged students to distinguish themselves by pursuing research and advised AKU students to initiate and participate in projects at AKU. He highlighted the fact that multiple international databases exist that could be harnessed for data interpretation and analysis.
“I still use the tools the Department of Community Health Sciences (CHS) taught me to analyse population-based articles and understand the merit of any paper I read,” he added.
Dr Qureshi encouraged students to gain a good grounding in statistics as this would help them publish papers during their studies thereby distinguishing themselves from other candidates.
He ended his lecture by urging students to learn from the different life experiences of their fellow students and by staying connected to their peers so that they can amplify the impact of their own initiatives in healthcare and medical education.