Dr. Busharat Ahmad, a 1955 graduate of Dow Medical College passed away on March 26 2023 (Ramazan 4 , 1444 AH). He practiced Ophthalmology in USA.
Dr. Busharat Ahmad
1922-2023
A tribute
By S. Amjad Hussain
Dr. Busharat Ahmad, a founding member of APPNA and the architect of APPNA’s first constitution died recently in Monroe, Michigan after a protracted illness. He was 91-years old.
A 1955 graduate of Dow Medical College, Karachi Dr. Ahmad was trained as an ophthalmologist and corneal transplant surgeon. Soon after finishing his training, he returned to Pakistan and worked at Dow Medical College as an honorary faculty member. As was the fate of many returning Pakistani physicians, Busharat got tired of fighting the system and returned to the US.
He established private practice in Marquette, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and in later years in Monroe, Michigan south of Detroit.
Dr. Busharat Ahmad was an ardent supporter of the establishment of APPNA and wrote its first constitution in 1978. Even though he never sought elected office in APPNA, he remained an influential voice in the affairs of APPNA. He was a constant presence at APPNA meetings and in the General Body sessions he was always a voice of reason and wisdom.
His efforts to bring recognition to and remove legislative and bureaucratic hurdles in the way of international medical graduates are legendry.
As a member of American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) Council on Long-Range planning and Development, according to June 1995 issue of Michigan Medicine, Dr. Ahmad was extensively involved in the study of the Federation- a two-year project in which organized medicine sought to reinvent itself for the 21st century. About his involvement, Busharat told Michigan Medicine,” I am involved in the restructuring process of the AMA House of Delegates, the Board of Trustees and their committees and councils to make it more attractive for physicians to become members of the AMA.”
When in 1987 a resolution to create an AMA International Medical graduate (IMG) section was defeated by AMA House of Delegates, Busharat Ahmad in a daring move created an IMG section within Michigan State Medical Society. It was first of its kind in the country. His pioneering work in Michigan led to him being named a member of the new AMA IMG Task Force. A comprehensive report was prepared that outlined in detail the problems facing IMG’s in the US. The report was accepted by the Board of Trustees of AMA and two years later AMA formed an advisory committee to implement the report. Busharat Ahmad was appointed chair of the committee. “Our main aim,” said Busharat at the time,” is to get IMG’s comfortable within the structure of the AMA.”
Today IMG’s in the US are beneficiary of Busharat Ahmad’s pioneering work.
In addition to playing a major role in the organized medicine, Dr. Ahmad also served as president of the Eye Bank Association of America.
Busharat Ahmad was a softspoken decent man. Dr. Masih Rehman, a Dow graduate had met and interacted with Dr. Busharat on many
occasions. He adds,” Despite being a towering personality among the Dow graduates, he was humble and decent to his inner core. He would by his presence in a gathering attract people by the sheer strength of his personality.”
When I think of Busharat, I remember Atticus Finch, the main character in Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird (played by Gregory Peck in the movie version of the novel). Finch was an exemplar of a man full of empathy, gentleness, kindness and non-judgmental. He also had the rare ability to put himself in other people’s shoes to try to understand their perspective. Busharat had all those qualities and much more.
He was an epitome of what William Shakespeare said of a man like Busharat:
“The best portion of a goodman’s life: His little, nameless,
unremembered acts of kindness and love.”
Dr. Busharat was preceded in death by his wife Adeeba in 2016. He is survived by his daughters Samra Ahmad of Monroe, Michigan, and Umber Ahmad of New York City.
Busharat “Bush” Ahmad. MD
FROM AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION WEBSITE:
Busharat Ahmad, MD, known as “Bush” by many of his colleagues, is one of the most wellknown and respected IMGs in the United States. He is a strong advocate for IMGs, and continues to be a leader working on behalf of IMGs.
As a leader on IMG issues, Dr. Ahmad shares his personal story and insights below:
How did you come to practice medicine in the U.S.? Briefly tell us your history of how and why you came to the U.S.
“I wanted to do my post graduate studies either in England or in the United States. I chose this country for its freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion. Also, I wanted to be where education and research is at its premium.”
What advice would you give to an IMG coming to the U.S. today?
“Before you decide to come to this country, be sure of your goals and plans for the future. The decision to uproot, has to be combined with your total commitment to your profession. You have to abide by the laws, rules and regulations of the medical system in this country, while you make
sure that you achieve your goal to succeed in the field you want to pursue. Remember— to rise above the norm and succeed, you must become part of the system. You must be an integral part of medical organizations. Work from within so that you may be able to have a say in the
decision making process. Do not isolate yourself, but assimilate into the system.”
Why did you become involved in organized medicine?
“I believe that organized medicine speaks for the physicians of this country and it behooves all the physicians to join organized medicine and the AMA. From the beginning I realized that IMGs are not treated fairly in our health system. I wanted to change this inequality and bring fairness and non-discrimination for IMGs. This has been my main objective all along. I feel
proud that I am able to make a difference.”
Did you have a mentor, colleague, or friend that served as a role model for your career and organized medicine involvement?
“Dr. A. D. Minhas and Dr. M. A. Shah, professors of ophthalmology at Dow Medical College were the reason I went into ophthalmology. When I joined my first Ophthalmology practice in 1971 in Marquette, Michigan my associate, Dr. Fred Sabin encouraged me to join AMA. He was
very involved in the organized medicine. I also joined the Michigan State Medical Society where I met Dr. John Coury, a past president of the AMA. Dr Coury took me under his wings, encouraged me and taught me to navigate the AMA. He was my role model. Dr. Claus Dohlman of Harvard Medical School was my role model in ophthalmology and cornea and refractive
surgery. He was the professor in ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and head of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery department at the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston.”
AMA leadership involvement
Busharat Ahmad, MD was on the first and second AMA ad hoc committees to study FMG (IMG) issues and was the chair of the first and second IMG Advisory Committees. He also
served as the first chair of the AMA IMG Section Governing Council in 1997. He is a delegate to the AMA House of Delegates from Michigan and has served on the AMA Council on Long Range Planning and Development (CLRPD). Dr. Ahmad is a trustee and secretary of the Education Council for Foreign Medical Graduates Board. He continues to be active in the AMA
IMG section, regularly attending IMG Governing Council, Congress, and Caucus meetings. Other organizational involvement Dr. Ahmad was the first chair of the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) section for
international medical graduates and has served in numerous other leadership positions within the MSMS. At present, he serves on the Board of Trustees of the MSMS Health Foundation, a nonprofit organization and serves as a Trustee on the HUDA Clinic Board, a free clinic in downtown
Detroit, Michigan. He has held leadership positions with the Eye Bank Association of America (serving as its national president), and the American Council of Transplantation. Dr. Ahmad is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American Academy of Ophthalmology, International College of Surgeons and the Society of Eye Surgeons. He is also a diplomat in
Ophthalmology, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of England.
Education and medical practice Dr. Ahmad received his M.B.B.S. (M.D.) from Dow Medical College, University of Karachi, Karachi, West Pakistan and a Diploma in Ophthalmology (D.O.) from the University of London
Institute of Ophthalmology in London, England. He was a resident in neurosurgery and plastic surgery at Vancouver, General Hospital, a resident in ophthalmology in St. Louis, Missouri, a fellow in ophthalmology cornea service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and a research
fellow, at the Cornea Retina Foundation in Boston, Massachusetts.
He has practiced ophthalmology in Michigan for almost thirty years in Monroe, Detroit, and Marquette. He has also held academic positions with Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan, and Dow Medical College, in Karachi, Pakistan.
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