Key Takeaways
- Leverage diverse leadership perspectives to identify specific patient access issues and inform strategic growth plans that serve entire communities.
A Special thanks to Modality Global Advisors for making this episode possible.
Are you passionate about making a difference in healthcare but unsure how to enter the field? Healthcare administration careers offer a unique opportunity to shape the future of medicine without being on the clinical front lines. Just ask Muhammad Qadir, MHSA, an administrative fellow at Johns Hopkins Medicine who's blazing a trail for diversity in healthcare leadership.
Muhammad's journey from Memphis to Michigan to Baltimore showcases the incredible potential for growth and impact in healthcare administration. His story illustrates how embracing your unique background can open doors and drive positive change in the healthcare system.
Muhammad's path to healthcare administration wasn't always clear. After graduating from the The University of Memphis with a degree in Health Services Management, he found himself working as a COVID screener during the height of the pandemic. This front-line experience opened his eyes to the challenges facing healthcare workers and patients alike.
A chance encounter with a clinician led to an opportunity at a cardiovascular clinic, where Muhammad gained valuable hands-on experience in healthcare operations. He then moved to a role as a referral specialist, where he encountered a pivotal moment that would shape his career trajectory.
"I started noticing trends," Muhammad recalls. "Women from my community, from the Muslim community, weren't getting scheduled for appointments." This realization sparked a passion for addressing health disparities and improving access to care for underserved populations.
Driven by his experiences and a desire to make a broader impact, Muhammad set his sights on graduate school. He applied to the University of Michigan healthcare administration program, feeling like it was a long shot. To his surprise, the interview felt more like a conversation with someone who shared his passions.
During his time at Michigan, Muhammad founded the Muslim Students of Public Health organization and worked with the Dearborn Public Health Department on innovative projects addressing flooding and air quality. These experiences solidified his commitment to public health and healthcare innovation.
When it came time to apply for administrative fellowships, Muhammad faced a dilemma. Should he include his involvement in Muslim organizations on his application? Despite some advice to the contrary, he decided to bring his full self to the process.
This authenticity paid off. During his Johns Hopkins interview, Muhammad shared a story about helping Muslim women access healthcare services. "Every executive at that table smiled and told me that was an incredible story," he remembers. "In that moment, I said, 'Man, if I don't get this fellowship, this may be the biggest heartbreak in my professional career because these people truly care about me in the short amount of time they've known me.'"
Muhammad's experience highlights the critical importance of diversity in healthcare leadership. By bringing his unique perspective to the table, he's able to identify and address issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
"When you're part of a community and you know the community's background, you can speak up when planning strategic growth," Muhammad explains. "You can say, 'I know my community has a very large 60-plus elderly population that wasn't in the graphic you showed. Can we explore that?'"
This cultural competence extends to all aspects of patient care, from dietary considerations to spiritual needs. Muhammad shares an example: "My friend was hospitalized, and the parents asked if they could use holy water as part of his care. It made the parents feel better and calmer, knowing that their faith was being respected."
Muhammad's work with the Dearborn Public Health Department showcases the innovative potential of healthcare administration careers. At just 22 years old, he was tasked with developing solutions for flooding prevention and air quality monitoring.
"We worked on coming up with a pilot program for permeable pavement," Muhammad explains. "We talked about rain gardens and how they can be beneficial not just from an aesthetics point of view but also from a city infrastructure perspective."
These experiences demonstrate how healthcare administrators can impact public health on a broader scale, beyond the walls of hospitals and clinics.
Throughout his journey, Muhammad has benefited from strong mentorship and a supportive learning environment. At Johns Hopkins, he's found leaders who are invested in his professional and personal growth.
"There are a lot of great mentors," Muhammad says. "They give you responsibilities and works that I never thought I would ever work on. They really want to see your investment not just professionally but personally."
This supportive environment has helped Muhammad overcome imposter syndrome and recognize his own potential as a healthcare leader.
For those from diverse backgrounds considering healthcare careers, Muhammad has a clear message: "We need you." He emphasizes that healthcare encompasses far more than just clinical roles.
"There's so much in healthcare, and if we're tapping maybe 2% of it, we're not really impacting care for all," Muhammad says. "We really need to broaden for everyone from diverse backgrounds."
He encourages aspiring healthcare leaders to bring their unique perspectives to the table, whether in hospital administration, healthcare consulting, facilities management, or healthcare economics.
Muhammad's journey from Memphis to Johns Hopkins serves as an inspiring example of the impact one person can have in healthcare administration. By embracing his background and bringing his full self to his work, he's not only advancing his own career but also paving the way for a more diverse and inclusive healthcare system.
For those considering a career in healthcare administration, Muhammad's story offers valuable lessons: embrace your unique perspective, seek out mentorship, and don't be afraid to innovate. The future of healthcare needs diverse voices and fresh ideas to tackle the complex challenges ahead.
Healthcare administration involves managing the business aspects of healthcare organizations, including hospitals, clinics, and public health departments. Administrators oversee operations, finances, policy implementation, and strategic planning to ensure efficient and effective healthcare delivery.
To start a career in healthcare administration, consider pursuing a bachelor's degree in health services management, public health, or a related field. Gain experience through internships or entry-level positions in healthcare settings. Graduate programs and administrative fellowships, like the one Muhammad completed at Johns Hopkins, can provide advanced training and networking opportunities.
Successful healthcare administrators often possess strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills. They should be comfortable with data analysis, strategic planning, and problem-solving. Cultural competence and an understanding of healthcare policy and regulations are also valuable.
Diverse leadership in healthcare brings varied perspectives and experiences to decision-making processes. This can lead to more inclusive policies, better understanding of different patient populations, and innovative solutions to healthcare challenges. Ultimately, this diversity can result in more equitable and effective healthcare delivery for all communities.
Facing rising costs and pressures to improve care? Modality Global Advisors is your solution. We optimize hospital revenue, enhance the patient’s experience, and deliver proven results. Build a healthier future with us, today!
<p>hello everyone this is Cole from the American Journal of healthc care strategy I'm joined by an administrative fellow at one of my favorite institutions an institution I've been a fan of for a long time John's Hopkins and uh I'm joined by Muhammad of John's Hopkins an administrative fellow of I think you've been there for almost a little over a year now right yeah yeah just just completed my first year you know we just welcomed in the second year admin fellows so thank you for having me Cole I'm really excited to be here [Music] yeah thank you so much for coming on I I've taken some certificates to John's Hopkins and I love the faculty I've connected with some of them on LinkedIn and so I think it's really cool to be able to have you on and you also have a lot of vast amount of experience outside of John's Hopkins as well so it's it's very exciting to have you on I want to go all the way back there to the University of Memphis right yeah that's an area of the country that many people on the East Coast might not be as familiar with so introduce us to how you got at the University of Memphis and what led to you getting your degree in Health Services management so uh I was born and raised in Memphis so there's a funny joke that uh once you end up in Memphis it's hard to leave Memphis um so once I started applying to bachelor's program I was saying I was gonna go here there but you know Memphis was a home and you know my friends family were there um I was really trying to figure out for a long time where I wanted to go career-wise um I changed my degree a few times and I decided to do Healthcare admin there was at the time there was no real reason I just felt like you know what they help people but you know they're not clinical and I'll just decide to do it and then you know spiral from there I just kept going deeper and deeper into the field and with that my love kind of increased and my passion and drive for it kind of increased as well and um here I am now at Hopkins which is just a blessing every day and you were clearly successful with that troice and undergrad right because you graduated you know kamadi Honors College Deans List you did very well and you got into you know a top school for your Masters it's it must have been kind of the right choice for you early on right I mean it was I think uh you know sometimes like God puts you in places that you don't expect um I was doing really well in school and then after I graduated was during covid um and jumping a little bit into the work experience because that was kind of what honed into how I ended up in Michigan actually was because I started off as a CO screener um in Memphis there wasn't a lot of jobs hiring I know you remember that cold there wasn't really especially for an entry level just graduated recently graduated student so I started off as a covid screener um taking people's temperatures and you know it was ended up becoming I was working at security too with the security team and saw a lot of uh lot of tough situations you know with covid happening with you know the physician stress and clinical burnout with nurses and staff you know it was kind of an emotional time and there was a clinician who saw me every day I would work long hours because you know Co everything shut down and so he saw me every day and he said you know you're here every day why don't you work at my clinic said okay why not he said I'll teach you as much as you need to know so I started working there um and that was a great experience as well it was a Cardiovascular Clinic in Memphis and you know he taught me about CPR codes and you know I icd10 and you know I was very much uh infancy level of knowing anything about healthare so he really took the time to build it up and then from there I ended up at Baptist Medical Group as a referral specialist and um you know from there I saw a lot of as a referral specialist you're kind of the middleman for patients for you know the clinics and for the insurance and I saw a lot of disparities and you know I saw a lot of patients not getting scheduled and I started seeing a trend of which Community they belong to and you know I started realizing they were women from my community from the Muslim Community um and sorry for jumping a little bit ahead but you know it was because you know I talked to the uh patients because you know you had a tab where you closed out the patient form after you give them three calls you know the patient's not responsive you close it out just to keep the law going in the track going of the flow of the referrals and I called one of the patients up and I said you know how come you're not seeing a podiatrist and you know they felt comfortable once I said my name and they said well Muhammad you you know in our culture it's not very comfortable for a woman to see a male um person who's not of their family and they say I don't feel comfortable seeing a male podiatrist for my FL issue and then I said well you know there's female podiatrist and they said really because they're you know in Memphis comparatively to East Coast and West Coast and Midwest and even Texas the Muslim Community is very new in Memphis just immigrated so you know I got her scheduled with the podiatrist and then I started noticing Trends and kept going on and on and I said you know what I want to make a change I have no idea how I'm going to do it and then I learned about Healthcare admin and I applied to Michigan like a throwi inth dart like let's let's see God knows best and the interview went perfect I interviewed with a person who had the same passions and interest in healthcare as I did and it didn't feel like an interview it felt like a conversation like me and you are having and I've just been falling in filing into Healthcare but sense that's beautiful and I love when students have that you know usually they do get that motivation sometimes it's after graduation before 10 years after but I love when you know you get it early on because I think it makes those interviews easier when you were so passionate about something so important like Health Equity especially when it's personal to you right because you are a member of this community you're an active member of the the Muslim Community in Memphis right you were active and then you went on to continue to do that at at Michigan I want to ask what was the transition like geographically Michigan's quite a ways away from Memphis right it's also very different weather so I have to ask what was that transition like cold the the winter beat me up the winter beat me up I couldn't do it but no I mean it was hard right I was born and raised in Memphis um just like you said I was very involved in the Muslim Community I was very involved in Michigan I continue to be here in Baltimore but you know I didn't know anything about moving any where I had lived with my parents my whole life I I was scared I was nervous um and I don't know like again you know you end up in places that end up that's where you belong right so when I started in Michigan I didn't know anything about Healthcare I had just worked a Frontline job at security and a small clinic and then referral specialist I didn't know anything about never did an internship never talked to Executive leaders before um in Michigan I met the right people you know I met some really good friends you know and they were from the they were Muslim and some who weren't Muslim and you know they were fun with me they were patient with me they you know kind of just allowed me to fall a lot and I fell a lot you know and they just were just instead of just saying they're laughing at me they're like all right let's you know continue process and you know I was encouraged to kind of dream a bit you know and see I guess explore and learn from other people because people in Michigan are just so qualified and so you know intell ENT just not just professionally but personally so it was kind of like everyday kind of like a mind blown type of thing I felt like a small town kid going into big city even though laan Arbor which is also small town so wow that's impressive yeah I think that's a great kind of a great thing to show as well how important it is to if possible expand your horizons and do things that you're uncomfortable with right because you were very successful when you were there you founded organiz ations you went on to work with the Department of Public Health there you did a lot of different things that really shaped you into who you are now what what are some of the things that that went on at Michigan that really stand out to you that's impacted you the most yeah I mean like you said I start uh not to to my own hor but I helped start uh or started Muslim Students of Public Health um with it with a great deal of support from you know the university and the different students who were part of the board um it was a very tough time because there was a lot of uh you know gun violence and different epidemics are happening and some people don't refer to gun violence as a public health epidemic and you know there was a lot happening in our community you know the Muslim Community certain topics are taboo you know um because the Immigrant population still learning and learning about you know depression is a mental health illness you know um you know these are different things that affect us and you know these are things that we have to talk about and you know I um I'm glad that I helped start that because I know the the next president after me was an incredible leader and he took that to next levels and you know I hope it continues to go and even before I graduated a student reached out to me and they said you know I'm considering the University of Michigan because uh I had never heard of a Muslim Students of Public Health they said no other Public Health University or any other public health program has that in the pamphlet so Michigan was very supportive about it my time in Dearborn I mean me and you were talking about a bit Dearborn is very diverse for those who don't know Mich in general is um which people are obv like obviously shocked about because you know it doesn't come off as that but Dearborn is diverse I mean you know a population where Mo most of it has roots overseas a population that you know has a large Muslim Comm community that are from all over the world it has large Christian Community all over the world large Jewish Community all over the world I mean I think 70 75% or Arab or you know Middle Eastern BN and so when you drive around Deerborn years seeing Arabic signs everywhere so Dearborn public health department is actually is a fun fact is the first public health department created by you know the mayor now in a small City like Dearborn so they had the Wayne County and Detroit Public Health Department but this was separate um to focus on their issues so they had issues with you know flood flooding um they had issues with opioid crisis you know homelessness you know um everything you can think think about mental health you know and this community really did didn't know how to combat it and didn't really know what tools were needed so being there as a fellow you know I worked with Incredible leader his name was Ali Abid um for those who are watching please look him up incredible man and he just said listen I he said we have a bunch of issues said you're fellows he said but you guys tell me how we're gonna solve this he wow he said you have full reain he goes use any case study you need look at any other City let's said let's get to work so let's pull our boots up he said let's figure this out he said because if we don't who's going to do it and so he uh I said Okay I want to work on flooding he said all right go ahead that's very unique think that people don't really say and I said I want to work on flooding let's work on flood mation said okay go ahead Muhammad so I you know I was a part of a team of four or five all incredible people I hope that they're watching and thinking about this but I said you know what let's work on flooding and we worked on coming up with a pilot program for per payment you know and for those who don't know what permeable payment is it's concrete that absorbs rainwater and funnels it down instead of it staying on the surface so concrete usually comparatively to dirt doesn't allow water to drain very well so we worked on a permeable payment program or project a pilot and see how much it would cost the city to go forth with it and you know it our ideas were never brushed aside we talked about rain Gardens um how rain Gardens can be beneficial not just from from an Aesthetics point of view but also from a city infrastructure point of view that it can actually absorb a significant amount of water for these and if we had rainu is at every neighborhood then instead of the water being funneling and building up on someone's blond they're funneling down and going straight into a rainu and building up a garden in this place right um and we never you know Ali and Abdullah ham both of these guys incredible leaders again if anyone's watching please reach out to them they're great men and mentors you know they they never made me feel like an idea was dumb you know they never said well Muhammad we're in we're not in New York we're in Dearborn they never did that they said okay how are we going to do it and you know there were other fellows who worked on incredible things even now if anyone looks up Dearborn they're working on air quality metrics a small City like different is working on air quality metrics are tracking and you as a resident could click an app and go straight into looking at the air quality I mean this is a and for those it's again is Dearborn Public Health Department please check them out there just incredible Innovative leaders and Future Leaders in healthcare and so How old if you don't might be asking were you at the time when you were redesigning the city's you know 22 you were 22 I was 22 like almost during 23 I Cole I didn't know anything but these guys you know this is how you teach young people is kind of not throw them in the fire but give them all the emotional support to say here I'm here if you're gonna fail but you know don't think you're G to fail because we're going to get to this and we're come up with results and that gave me all the confidence for me to say okay let's get this started so wow that is a a very unique experience I think that uh I think that we're probably gonna have a lot more interest in Dearborn after this episode because people are G G really see the opportunity there that's incredible yeah deor is incredible City go see the coffee shops oh I I've been uh I've been watching videos as I mentioned and and I'm a big coffee lover and in North Carolina during our International Festival I always enjoyed the you know the different kinds of coffee they would have and so um you know hearing you talk about it as well I'm very intrigued yeah I'm very intrigued so uh after that you you did end up going to to John's Hopkins but how did that process start I think the first question is why did you decide to do an administrative Fellowship in the first place um if I'll be honest with you Cole I knew that I didn't have much experience in a healthcare C moral hospital setting I wanted to continue to be a learner but I want to have the responsibilities that autonomy also of helping build up something you know being a part of projects being a part of any type of system work whatsoever so I knew I wanted to do a fellowship now Hopkins was a dream that I couldn't even dream about type of situation you know I applied to numerous fellowships um I think eight or nine um and Hopkins was one of them but you know you just do it just to say you I'll try right um I decided to do it last minute because I was just like I'm gonna do it you know what I'm gonna see if I can do it and then end up working out you know by the grace you know I'm blessed for this opportunity um I had the first round interview I'm sorry if I'm jumping ahead again I had the first round interview and I was so nervous I was just like I booked a room in the library I went there and the interview happened and you know I was nervous I was kind of sweating and then they they all had Smiles on their face and I was like oh everyone's smiling okay I'm gonna smile too and they started asking me questions and really trying to get to know who I am and you know one thing that was unique about the fellowship was also you know beforehand they asked you know can you send a letter a personal letter of recommendation as well as a professional and academic so I was just a little bit you know already like you know personal letter recommendation and the interview felt like they want to get to know me as a person but also see my capabilities and I remember after interview I was like did I do good I think I did bad all right I did bad and I just I went took a nap Cole I fell asleep because I was like I think I did bad and I'm kind of even more bummed out because I thought they were all good people and great people and I'm bummed out and I started walking to go get dinner to meet with some family and I got a call and they said hey Mohammad are you interested in coming to round two at in Baltimore and I was like uh yeah yeah I was like yeah I'll do it I I don't care what day I don't care if I have a class that day I will come because that was something where I wanted to explore and really meet and see what type of people are there you and me were talking about this beforehand as well is that during that application process you had this kind of debate going on within yourself uh and with some of your mentors whether to include some of the the Muslim things that you had established the institutions and then the activities in your community that you had had done whether to include that on your application or not and you you said you decided to include it uh can you talk about why that was a a struggle and and how that impacted your application yeah um it was a struggle because you know I there was a person I respect a lot and I still respect his day he's a great human being and you know this was just you know he just told me he said you know I'm not sure you should keep the Muslim things in your resume I was kind of taking a step back and he just said listen you know like what if people don't see it the same way you do and it you know may you know come off weird or a certain way or you you may fall into a bracket so I thought about it I was just like man what do I do because this is who I am I mean and in this conversation we've talked about it you know I this is just who I am this why I'm in healthcare and I remember someone had told me um someone again who I respect a lot and he said listen like if you're applying to an organization or an institution and you have to take any bits of yourself out whether it's your morals your values and the reason you went to healthcare maybe that's not the institution for you maybe that if they they said no to it because they saw it maybe that's not somewhere you belonged and maybe you know the door may open for another institution when they see it they may actually be happy and intrigued by it and want to explore more and hear more about your story so I remember for the resume I included it and you know I included it with Hopkins and I even touched about my family story in my you know personal statement you know um again it's a little bit off topic but you know my grandfather had a severe stroke because of diabetes in India um it left him paralyzed mute and blind for eight years it was all over just uh you know his blood pressure they didn't have you know that you know healthc care literacy so all of this is tied from my background to IND being from India and being Muslim is all connected to why I'm in healthcare and taking it out didn't feel right to me so I said you know what I'm GNA apply and if they want me they want me if they don't they don't and you know and I think we'll talk about it later but in the final round you know it worked out for the best I mean I think that's what sold me for Hopkins was they accepted me for who I am so that second round right that that's not the final round right they do a third the second round is the final round oh the second round is the final round okay so then and that when they do they fly you in to Baltimore yeah yeah and have you been to Baltimore prior to to this well like six this is kind of your first adult impressions of this and so what was your impressions coming into Baltimore as you know it's a city with some real Public Health crises but some great Public Health Innovations and so what was your you know mindset coming into it I had a big smile on my face I was happy to let anyone I never thought someone would pay for my hotel for me or fly me out I never thought I would be ever have the opportunity to be that because I just I don't know maybe impostor Central but I never thought I would be that that type of person and you know when it was happening I had a big smile on my face I was actually FaceTiming someone showing the hotel and everything um but Baltimore was different you know it reminded me of Memphis and I felt like a little bit at home I was like this kind of like Memphis you know it was it was it was just a bunch of the people here you know there's a different way they walk they talk there's you know it's a little bit Southern like you know the type of uh hospitality and you know the modesty that people have here is just you know it's kindness you know and you know sometimes obviously you run into rude people but it reminded me of Memphis where I said you know I I might want to explore this and so that was my first impressions going into Baltimore and it was just incredible experience nice and and then how nervous were you for the second round right because the first round you were sweating you were super nervous but you knew they they liked you the second round so how was that for you was that easier the final round um it kind of like I was uh playing with nothing to lose it felt like because I just said you know I made it farther than I thought I ever would um but I was a little bit nervous I had a little bit a bigger beard at the time and so Cole you have a great beard yourself and um I was like ah I have trimmed this and I remember saying to one the fellow's like should I have trimmed my beard and they were like they looked at me like I was crazy they're like no they said your beard looks great and I remember the kindness of the fellows I shown like the previous fellows um and you know they just were like trying to get to know us personally and I remember it just kind of took me out of that mindset like oh this is you know a stressful situ because they kept reiterating to us they said you are capable you here because we thought you were capable and qualified we just trying to see who will fit with us personally and emotionally for our organization institution so then at that point you're just kind of like okay is you know they think I'm qualified John Hopkins thinks I'm qualified so anyone in the world might think I'm qualified so once I got there for the final round interview um and actually walking through the doors I I was excited I mean I I have a story even from the whole interview process you know I have a hilarious story about that too oh please please share it I uh walked through the door and there was a table it's a square table all the executives are sitting over there our executive sponsors over there the program director and I walk in you know my Sue is a little bit bigger than me it's a little bit big and I look at everyone at the table and I walk right to the door everyone smiling and that was the first thing I was like oh they smiled in the first round they're smiling now okay so then I shake the first person on the right side of me I shake his hand that I was like you know it's kind of weird if I don't to shake the second person's hand I shake his hand said well now I look weird now shaking a third person's hand I said you know what I'm gonna walk around the table and Shake everyone's hand so I walked around the table hi my name is Muhammad Kadir and they would introduce themselves and I sat down I remember they were like well Muhammad we were gonna do introductions first but I guess we did it but do it again I was just like yep I was like I am embarrassing myself that's great I think that that's the best way to embarrass yourself right is is by giving a warm introduction yeah I mean I'm glad they thought it was warm and then they asked me they said what do you think about Baltimore compared to Michigan I was like man it's it's Heavenly here I was like it's warm here it was cold in Michigan right before I got there so it was 40 in Michigan it was 60 here I said this is heaven to me I see the Sun so and then you know a little bit continuing on um they asked me a question that you know you asked they said what's you know a little bit connected actually um what's the proudest moment in your career and I was just like man what's the proudest moment in my career and you know I said you know what the proudest moment in my career was when I was a ref foral specialist in Memphis Tennessee and I helped that woman a few other women who are from the Muslim background get scheduled for a patient and I told them the exact same story and these everyone every executive at that table smiled and every executive at that table told me that was incredible story and I'm telling them a story about something that affects being Muslim and the Muslim Community and Muslim demographic and you know mind you three four weeks ago someone had told me to take this stuff out of my resume here I am at John's Hopkins Fellowship interviewing with executive leaders and I tell them that story and every single one of them is smiling and telling me that was an incredible story that in that moment I said man God if you don't give me if I don't get this fellowship if there's if I don't any way up here I think this may be the biggest heartbreak in my professional career because these people truly care about me in the short amount of time they known me and they truly care about getting to know me that is a beautiful a beautiful story and and I think it's so important that people bring their full self to work but sometimes it can it can be very scary and very challenging with the problems and the Prejudice that we see going on throughout your career you've done really well this though right you've always it seems like broughten yourself your full self to work why have you been good at that how did you learn to be able to be proudly who you are I had a lot of great mentors even now I mean Hopkins has a lot of great leaders but they have a lot of great mentors I mean it's really a Learning Center you know it Prides itself on being academic Medical Center but like Cole when I tell you I mean people want to see you learn you know I was telling the first year fellows that were coming in today I said said you know even if you make a mistake on your project work you know they may not you know there may be expectation that you give executive work they want to see that you're there every day they want to see you're emotionally attached to the institution and they want to see that you're you know asking questions and learning if you're fulfilling those three things you are probably you know you're a great fellow you know because the work will follow your development of the projects and programs you'll work on will come you know you'll make mistakes makes mistakes even senior Executives make mistakes but the great thing about Hopkins and you know for those who are listening is you know there's a lot of great mentors you know um some of my mentors um and I want to say them are you know Dr sist you know he really has taken an investment in me professionally and personally you know there's been great you know preceptors I've had Matt laen Heiser and so many different leaders who you know really pushed me to go places that I never thought I'd go and you know Tracy as the program director gives you responsibilities of works that I never thought I would ever work on and you know Dr isi as well and you know there are people who really want to see your investment not just professionally but personally and they know that you have the potential to do it even if you don't know and for me I even now I have imposter syndrome I'm like how am I here at Hopkins how am I with some of the most academically intelligent and you know just top-of-the-line leaders Clinic research wise you know administrative wise and they don't see themselves like that they said muhamad you're one of them Muhammad you are one of I thank you for that you know um you know maybe I need like tell myself also but like it's still like pinching myself a dream you know these guys really care about you know your development and so I I can't speak on you know other people's experiences of other places but I know this has been my experience here and you know I've I just can't imagine my anywhere else ending up anywhere else W I really do appreciate you you coming on and sharing your story I I think it's going to inspire a lot of people it inspires me as well especially where you've you've been upfront about your identity and we you know you and me both we encourage people whatever their identity is really we need more diverse people in these fields and you've done a lot of work on that uh especially what can you give to maybe fellow Muslims like yourself who have been in similar positions as you is there any encouragement or advice you can give them or or people just have diverse backgrounds in General on how to get into this field we need you guys I mean we need everyone from every different background because um and I talked to a lot of kids about this or you know Young Learners or people my age I try to encourage them to go into public health because you know Public Health really encompasses a lot you know at the time you know when you want to do medicine in our community when you want to do medicine and you can only be a physician a dentist and that's really a m a nurse that's it you there's no such thing as being a public policy there's no such thing as being in hospital Administration I mean I I have stories a am of times I can write a book about how many times people are like what is Hospital admin you know Healthcare Consulting this fi Healthcare facilities I may be missing a bunch of different you know Healthcare economics there is so much in healthcare and if we're tapping maybe two% of it we're not really impacting the care for all you know and we really need to broaden for everyone from diverse backgrounds and even those who are clinicians now you know we need people to work on a multitude of different things I know there's a lot of burnout and a lot of stress but you know you know after a pandemic I mean we see you know what has happened to the world I mean you know the world is only getting bigger and scarier you know and you know we need leaders here you know when you're a part of a community and you know who the community's background that there's a lot of elderly in a certain area there's a lot of you know children in a certain area and you're at the table and you can say when they're planning the Strategic growth about where ASC should go where ambulatory emergency care or you know maybe even a hospital you can say I know my community from my Muslim Community or my neighborhood or this or that over there has a very large 60 plus elderly community that was not in the graphic that you showed so can we explore that background that population maybe they need an ASC over there or an urgent care there or Pediatric Care there and if you're not at the being a part of that conversation you you know you can't expect change to come because you have to engage in it you know and you have to be there for a multitude of different things like even a lot of Muslims eat Hal and a lot of Jewish people eat kosher when we look at food and nutrition for the hospital and the food that we serve how do we ensure that everyone's being fed the food that they're comfortable with and they can recover with how can we ensure that you know my friend um he was hospitalized he had a very uh severe case you know they put um in our religion there's holy water so they call it um zumzum water they used to put water because the parents asked can you put this water in his um this specific water just droplets for him and you know he recovered and you know the parents it made the parents feel better even though the care was excellent made the parents feel better and calmer knowing that the holy Waters being a part of his dietary um you know care because it brought peace to them knowing that you know for them God is so important that God is being a part of their care or and how do we do that how do we kind of bring our community to a Forefront so if you're Muslim or Jewish or from any background Hindu you know this this world needs you you know this's a sphere of you know public health and Healthcare needs you and you need to be at the table to help Advance it so that the Next Generation has a better opport opportunity to take it to further levels and we're constantly delivering excellence and clinical Excellence you know administrative excellence and we're continuously helping everyone and growing for all very very well put I I couldn't appreciate you more coming on thank you so much for for joining us and in really explaining your incredible journey and also giving us such a motivational message at the end there so I I really appreciate you coming on and hopefully we can have you on again in the future yeah thank you thank you Cole and thank you everyone who's watching please reach out if you have any questions about the fellowship or about Healthcare at all I'd love to talk</p>
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