Doctor Interview-Mohammad Ali Attar

1. What route did you take to become a doctor?

After finishing high school, I went to college, got undergraduate degree in biology in four

years, competed with other students aspiring to be medical doctors. I earned enough

grades in college to be accepted in medical school. I studied in medical school for another

4 years. Then I specialized in pediatrics for three years then sub specialized in taking care

in sick babies (neonatology) for another three years.

2. How long did it take you?

It took me 8 years from high school graduation to earning a medical degree (graduating

from medical school). However, to practice medicine independently doctors need to do

further training in the type conditions and age group that they want to practice in. The

additional 3 years (called residency) is almost a must in all the states of the USA to get a

license to practice as a doctor. I did my residency in the field of pediatrics and graduated

as a pediatrician. I did not need to sub specialize for three more years but I liked

continuing the learning to be a neonatologist.

3. Did you always want to become a doctor?

Being a doctor was one of my favorite goals. However, I also planned that if I couldn't

achieve that goal (for a financial reason or if I did not earn enough grades in tests to

qualify me in the competition to get accepted into a medical school), I would have done

training to be an engineer, specifically an architect.

4. How did your ambition begin?

It started with having a respect to the doctors who took care of me when I was a child that

inspired me to grow up to be a doctor and in a position to take care of others and make

those who are sick feel better.

5. Where did your journey begin?

It began by attending college to get a B.S degree in biology. I checked with my family to

assure support for the long years of training and by being mentally prepared that it will

take a great deal of focusing on goals and staying away from distractions and trouble.

6. Where did your path lead to?

My path led me to stay in the college dorms away from parents. I got to meet and learn

about other students from different ways of life. I learned studying skills and learned

teamwork skills.

7. What adversities did you face along the way?

I needed to work hard to maintain competitive school grades. Some of the courses were

tough and I needed to make choices to balance my study load and I needed to drop out of

some courses to lighten up my load so I can maintain the competitive grades and I needed

to compensate for that by taking courses during summer sessions. I needed to make

choices related to the type of residency training and where.

8. How have those adversities shaped your outcome today?

Those tough choices that I needed to make resulted in having better time management

skills, maintaining a sharp focus on goals, and improved my interpersonal social skills

and teamwork capabilities.

9. Did you ever have to take any detours on your path?

I was lucky enough that I did not need to go through a detour since I entered college, but

I know of other colleagues who did.

10. How did outside factors play into your doctorate route?

I feel that I was lucky enough that the outside factors lined up to me achieve my goals.

I had enough financial support from my parents and from college scholarships. I was able

to finish medical school in a country that was ravaged by a civil war (Lebanon in the

1980s), I was able to secure a good training place and to travel to the US for my

residency, I was able find a job that I like in the US after finishing my training, I was able

to start a family during all of that.

11. Were all the steps you took, the traditional steps? (Medical school,

residency)

Yes.

12. How did the steps or programs differ overseas?

I chose the education system to do my undergrad (the bachelor degree in biology) and

medical school to be American (the American University of Beirut) that used curriculum

obtained from a New York University. My experience was not different. However,

overseas there are different education systems.

13. How are they similar to here?

In my case, it was exactly like getting a medical degree from the US. However, the

standardized tests that I need at finishing my medical degree were different (at that time,

now they are probably the same) from those graduated from the US.

14. Were all the steps taken overseas?

No. I did my undergrad and medical school overseas and I did my residency and

subspecialty training in the US.

15. What caused you to finish the rest in the United States?

The quality and depth of the training at higher levels.

16. What parts did you complete in the U.S?

I did my residency in pediatrics in Syracuse, NY, and I did my subspecialty training in

neonatology in Ann Arbor, MI.

17. What did you specialize in?

Neonatology

18. How long did that take?

3 years

19. Why did you choose that route?

During the pediatrics residency training, residents get to learn about the multiple

subspecialties in the field including neonatology. I liked treating babies.

20. How has the process evolved since you completed it?

Not much.

21. After getting your license, how did you feel?

It was a great sense of achieving a major goal. It was a sense of pride and relief.

22. Did you have to complete anything else after receiving your

license?

I did subspecialty training.

23. What do you work as now?

I work as a neonatologist at the University of Michigan intensive care unit. The job

includes taking care of patients, doing research to understand better the different

conditions that doctors like myself encounter and also includes teaching other doctors

who are doing residency training in pediatrics and those who are sub specialising in

neonatology (neonatology fellows).

24. Do you ever interview possible candidates?

Yes.

25. For what positions do you interview for?

Residency positions.

26. What do you look for in them?

For personal traits: leadership qualities, problem-solving capabilities, and how they

handle failure as well as frustrating events.

27. Do you enjoy your profession?

Yes.

28. Would you recommend it to others?

Of course. I feel that it is a great honor and a privilege to have the knowledge and the

skills (obtained through years of training and practice) to be able to help somebody who

is sick and make that person feel better. It is very gratifying to observe those who are

desperate, scared and sick to observe them feel better and back on track. It is also

gratifying to observe the families of the sick persons feel better when their loved ones are

relieved from their limitations.

Doctors cannot fix everybodys problem. However it is also gratifying to do all what

could be done to fix these body problems and that the patients and their families
recognize that they received the best care that can be delivered to decrease their pain and

suffering.