Abid Ghafoor, MD

"Work to become, not to acquire" is one of my favorite quotes from Elbert Hubbard as he chronicles his life journey.

I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor, following the footsteps of my cousin who was the first doctor in the family and my role model.

After completing my medical degree overseas, I moved to the US to pursue my training and career in Anesthesiology. Early on in my journey, I was fortunate enough to have a great mentor at Yale University, who invested time to ensure success in achieving my goals. He took me under his wings and helped me navigate the healthcare system in America. During my anesthesia residency in Little Rock, Arkansas I developed a keen interest in Pediatrics and completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesia at Arkansas Children's Hospital. I spent the next 15 years in academia as a tenured Associate Professor and the last 6 years as the Division Chief of Pediatric Anesthesia at Children's Hospital of San Antonio.

At the peak of my career, a life-shattering event forced me to re-evaluate my life and priorities. The poly-trauma I suffered had me clinging to life. What I took for granted was gone in a matter of a second. I was given a second chance to live but had to fight daily for over eight months to get my functionality back. This experience forced me to reflect on what my patients experience on the receiving end of a medical system. It taught me empathy, patience, resilience, and determination. Until this point, I had "acquired" all the medical knowledge and skills to become a competent anesthesiologist but now I "became" a more compassionate and empathic physician.

As I reflect back on my 23 plus years career, I have held various roles that are closely associated with my commitment to 1) excellence in clinical practice and professionalism, 2) excellence in educating patients, medical students and residents, 3) community education/ public service and 4) faculty development and mentoring. My life journey had its share of twists and turns, but I am satisfied with what I have become and honored to provide care to our pediatric patients at Cook Children's Hospital.