“这是我的激情所在”

Going above and beyond to help others has always been important for Jamilah Alhashidi, M.D. — an approach that she practices daily as a chief resident in family medicine.

The OUWB alumnae (Class of 2019) says she practices it when spending hours on the phone with a distraught patient and when showing grace to patients who are late due to transportation issues.

She also draws on this ability when helping patients who struggle to make ends meet find cheaper prescription options, 或者需要帮助来理解适当营养的重要性.

The list of ways Alhashidi goes above and beyond is almost endless — and she says it’s all for one primary reason.

“I went into medicine to help people and that’s something I never, 有没有想过要忘记,阿尔哈希迪说, 博蒙特医院的住院医师, 特洛伊.

“走出教室”

阿尔哈希迪的父母来到美国.S. 在她出生后不久. The family lived in California until Alhashidi’s fifth-grade year, when they relocated to Detroit. 从那个年龄一直到毕业, 她曾就读于环球学院, 位于底特律东南部的一所幼儿园至12年级的特许学校. 她以28名学生的毕业致辞代表的身份毕业.

Alhashidi would go on to earn two undergraduate degrees from University of Michigan-Dearborn, 一个是生物学/生物科学，另一个是心理学. 她于2015年创办了OUWB.

Through it all, Alhashidi retained a commitment to making time for others.

“I remember people telling me in undergrad that I wasn’t going to get into med school because I needed to focus more on my education,她说。.

“I was just like ‘No, I’m doing this because this is my passion.’”

Alhashidi is so passionate about helping others that she says if she only had to go to class, 她可能已经辍学了.

“老实说, 我热爱教育，也热爱医学, 但我不想让它成为我唯一的东西,她说。.

In high school, Alhashidi was president of the National Honor Society. She led many community outreach initiatives with organizations like Reach Out and Read and Capuchin Soup Kitchen.  

她对他人的承诺在密歇根大学迪尔伯恩分校得到了进一步的体现. 她参与了, 一个医学协会, 在某种程度上, supports Children’s Miracle Network; Autism Speaks U, an organization that raises money for Autism research and awareness; Alliance for Disability Awareness, a group that raises awareness about various disabilities; and Elder Alliance.

“不管你读了多少书, 不管你去听了多少次讲座, (service) provides interactions with different people from different backgrounds who bring all kinds of different experiences to the table…you really, 真的需要走出教室,她说。.

Alhashidi说 one reason she gives so much of herself is that giving back and charity are especially important to those who are Muslim.

另一个原因, Alhashidi说, is that she understands what it’s like to come from a low socioeconomic background and has seen the difference another person can make for those who need help. 通过例子, Alhashidi points to those who helped her parents — who didn’t speak any English when they emigrated to the U.S. -获得各种援助. 

“I’ve always taken the approach that if I can’t provide financial help to someone, 我可以提供时间,她说。. “我们都有责任回馈社会.”

 “OUWB绝对让我做好了准备。”

Given her commitment to service, Alhashidi说 OUWB was a natural fit for her.

She says she was particularly drawn to the school’s commitment to community.

在OUWB, 她参与了, 除此之外, 儿童兴趣小组, 美国医科学生协会, 穆斯林医学生协会, and starting the school’s chapter of the National Arab American Medical Association.

“What really makes OUWB stand apart is its community and commitment to making sure everyone has a place within the school…you’re not just another student,阿尔哈希迪说. “他们希望你成为一个活跃的成员，并参与其中.”

她说，牛津大学医学院“绝对让我做好了成为一名医生的准备”, starting with the curriculum of the first and second years followed by the learning opportunities in various clinical settings.

“通过OUWB和博蒙特的连接, my third and fourth years were phenomenal — every rotation I had was rigorous in the sense that I was learning a lot as an active and vital member of a team,她说。. “博蒙特的每个人都很善良.”

The various experiences also helped her decide to go into family medicine after consideration of other specialties like pediatrics and emergency medicine.

“The thing that tipped me toward family medicine was that I wanted continuity of care,她说。. “我想从病人小时候开始了解他们, 高中毕业, 甚至最终(作为成年人)有了自己的家庭. 这对我很有吸引力.”

展望未来

阿尔哈希迪担任总住院医师的任期为一年. She was selected by her peers, the other residents in family medicine.

“It’s nice because it means that your peers are comfortable with talking with you and addressing the issues they have…it’s a great feeling,阿尔哈希迪说.

A typical day begins in a precepting room, where patient charts are reviewed with attendings. 在会议和中午之间，阿尔哈希迪检查病人. At noon, it’s time for lunch and noon lectures, which vary by topic and guest speaker. 下午要花更多时间和病人在一起. 阿尔哈希迪会在一天的工作结束前查看她的电子邮件, 回电话, 整理笔记, 等等.......

同时, Alhashidi is looking ahead with plans to continue working with med students, 社区志愿者, 找一份实习后的工作.

And she is doing it all with that same primary goal she’s always had in mind.

“I want to continue to work with an underserved populations … to be able to give back to the community that I once belonged,她说。.