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MineralMan

(146,318 posts)
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 12:23 PM Jan 2015

My Doctor Is a Pakistani Muslim.

I go to a multi-specialty clinic near where I live. At this clinic, regular patients have an internist or family practice specialist assigned to them as their primary care physician. When I moved here in 2004, my first visit to the clinic was for cluster headaches, which had recurred once again. The doctor I saw was brusque and dismissive, and not interested in helping me obtain the prescription for oxygen, which was the only treatment that worked for the condition in my case. I ended up getting the prescription, but was pretty unsatisfied with that physician's manner and attitude.

I had to come back a week later, and that physician wasn't available, so I saw a different doctor. This one was the exact opposite of the first doctor I had seen. He listened to me, recognized that I had long experience with my condition and paid attention to my explanation of what I needed. I got the care I expected to get.

I didn't have to return to the clinic for almost a year, but when I did, I asked for the second doctor, and asked if I could be assigned to him as my primary care doctor. From his name and accent, I assumed that he was from a middle eastern country. When I saw him, he told me that I was the first patient who had requested him as their primary care doctor. He had been with the clinic for two years. I was surprised, and said so. He told me that it could be because he was a Muslim, but he wasn't sure.

Even now, almost eleven years later, I can get a same-day appointment with my primary care doctor. Mostly, he still sees people who cannot see their regular doctor. I'm still one of his few patients where he is assigned as a primary care physicians I just saw him for my annual Medicare wellness checkup. We always have a good chat and he asks me about how I'm doing, and I ask him the same thing. This year, he told me that he had brought his mother from Pakistan to the US, where she is now living in an assisted living facility and getting dialysis three times a week. He remembers me from year to year, which is about the only time I see him. He's careful, a very good diagnostician, and a very affable, thoughtful person. He's a Muslim. He's also an excellent primary care doctor. Both my wife and my mother-in-law now have selected him as their primary care physician.

We're not very bright, I think, as a society. We allow our prejudices to keep us from things that are beneficial. We are foolish as a society. It's sad.

45 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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My Doctor Is a Pakistani Muslim. (Original Post) MineralMan Jan 2015 OP
My pcp is an afghan sunni gwheezie Jan 2015 #1
Exactly. We should choose our doctors by their skills MineralMan Jan 2015 #2
My experience has been the same. dixiegrrrrl Jan 2015 #3
I don't go to him because he is a Muslim or a Pakistani. MineralMan Jan 2015 #7
I am lucky enough to have several dear friends who are Muslim. IdaBriggs Jan 2015 #4
The two doctors I am most grateful to, both from Iran Bluenorthwest Jan 2015 #5
I'm glad they were there for you. MineralMan Jan 2015 #9
Yes, one of my two best doctors is from Iran TexasMommaWithAHat Jan 2015 #13
My daughters' pediatrician was an Indian Muslim riderinthestorm Jan 2015 #6
My oncologist is also a Pakistani Muslim. MoonRiver Jan 2015 #8
I'm very glad you found an excellent doctor. MineralMan Jan 2015 #10
Thanks, he's a very good guy. MoonRiver Jan 2015 #37
My daughter's boyfriend is Muslim PennyK Jan 2015 #11
My daughter's pediatrician was a Muslim LibDemAlways Jan 2015 #12
My Iranian-American doctor TexasMommaWithAHat Jan 2015 #14
That's too bad. My wife and mother-in-law like their doctor. MineralMan Jan 2015 #15
This is a fine story whatchamacallit Jan 2015 #16
yeah, this been one hell of a liberal website lately, hasn't it? Douglas Carpenter Jan 2015 #23
I know a family from Bosnia, Muslims that look like they just arrived from Italy. Fred Sanders Jan 2015 #17
Often, we do not think much before forming an opinion. MineralMan Jan 2015 #19
My ex-husband is a Muslim (Indian subcontinent heritage) etherealtruth Jan 2015 #18
Individuals can be of any type of personality. MineralMan Jan 2015 #20
Not at all! n/t etherealtruth Jan 2015 #21
So is the pediatrician for my daughter's little boy. elleng Jan 2015 #22
A bang on statement Hutzpa Jan 2015 #24
So is my urologist and optomitrist. Pakistani and Palestinian. Tierra_y_Libertad Jan 2015 #25
What?!? You bought a car from an Egyptian? MineralMan Jan 2015 #26
Worse. It was a Japanese car!! Tierra_y_Libertad Jan 2015 #29
Well, now you've done it...for sure. LOL! MineralMan Jan 2015 #30
Me too. As the child of immigrants I'm always interested in other peoples experience. Tierra_y_Libertad Jan 2015 #32
The last doctor I saw was Italian American AngryAmish Jan 2015 #27
Oops! That's Italians for you, I guess... MineralMan Jan 2015 #28
With all these testimonials to mid-eastern MDs 1 could ask "why" do so many come from there? hue Jan 2015 #31
I don't have an answer for that question. MineralMan Jan 2015 #34
K&R! n/t RKP5637 Jan 2015 #33
The best vascular surgeon in this town for many years is a Pakistani Muslim Warpy Jan 2015 #35
MineralMan Diclotican Jan 2015 #36
I deliberately sought out an Arab ophthalmologist. Rozlee Jan 2015 #38
Keratoconus? etherealtruth Jan 2015 #40
No, Behcet's Disease. Rozlee Jan 2015 #42
`... and the best to you , too! n/t etherealtruth Jan 2015 #44
I tend to judge docs by whether they take MediCAID patients. If not, it's a good chance they are Hoyt Jan 2015 #39
I think it is always the best policy to judge smirkymonkey Jan 2015 #41
I live in an area with a lot of immigrants, especially from Muslim countries. DemocraticWing Jan 2015 #43
Such a cool story my brother. Jesus Malverde Jan 2015 #45

gwheezie

(3,580 posts)
1. My pcp is an afghan sunni
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 12:42 PM
Jan 2015

I know him from the hospital where I work. I was impressed with his diagnostic skills. I choose him because I think he's a good doctor. His wife is my gyn. She's also afghan. They met here in school. I knew here from when she was a resident. She was called to see one of my patients who took a bad turn. She had to call the chief at home to get permission to transfer the patient to icy. He refused and said he'd come in to see the patient. She told him I am here and you are not this patient needs to go now. She took the patient to the icu herself. I thought when she is done with her residency I want her to be my doctor.
They have 3 wonderful children. I can't believe how I've known all of them since before they were born. Such a wonderful american family.

MineralMan

(146,318 posts)
2. Exactly. We should choose our doctors by their skills
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 12:47 PM
Jan 2015

and approach to dealing with patients, and not for any other reason. And yet, we often choose based on factors that have nothing to do with our health. It makes no sense to me at all.

My doctor worked with me on the cluster headache issue and we actually found a way for me to abort a cluster once it began. It involves an off-label use of a medication designed for migraines. It works. Now, when a cluster begins, I'm able to end it within a week, rather than in months. We experimented to find a solution, and it works. Sadly, further research on the strategy will probably not occur, but it works for me.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
3. My experience has been the same.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 12:50 PM
Jan 2015

I have worked with docs from India, actually, in Mental Health clinics, plus one female doc from Bangladesh (now, THERE's a story)
and Mr. Dixie saw a doc from Iraq when we first got here, for his disability exams.
In each and every case, I found them to be conscientious, very focused, very attentive and thorough.
In fact, it was the doc I worked with at a Mental Health clinic down here who helped me quit smoking,
I will always bless him.

Whereas Mr. Dixie's Southern born and bred medical doc here almost killed him by mis-diagnosing and then mis-prescribing.
Fortunately, that doc retired a few months later.

MineralMan

(146,318 posts)
7. I don't go to him because he is a Muslim or a Pakistani.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 12:58 PM
Jan 2015

I go to him because he is a good, thoughtful physician. None of the rest matters at all to me.

 

IdaBriggs

(10,559 posts)
4. I am lucky enough to have several dear friends who are Muslim.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 12:53 PM
Jan 2015

My children went to a Muslim preschool (I cannot say enough good things about it!) and I have now fasted Ramadan six tines. This is currently circulating on Facebook (and I love it - applies to most religions):

Yasir Qadhi
Loving the Prophet (salla Allah alayhi wa sallam) is a necessary requirement of Iman. Defending his honor is a sign of belief. This is done by following his teachings and practice, not by murdering in his name.

Our Prophet was verbally abused and physically harrased multiple times in Makkah. Never ONCE did any of the Companions go and murder those who did such deeds.

Do those who kill others in the name of the Prophet believe that they love him more than the companions?


And even for those who believe that the penalty for blasphemy should be death: by unanimous consensus of ALL the scholars of Islam, this must take place after a legitimate trial, by a qualified judge, appointed by a legitimate Islamic state. Under NO circumstances does Islam allow vigilante justice, for to open this door leads to chaos, confusion and bloodshed.

Muslims: get your act together!! Such acts of terror are not only haram and spill innocent blood, they will come back to harm you and your communities in the short and long run.

And as a result, all of us will suffer.
 

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)
5. The two doctors I am most grateful to, both from Iran
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 12:56 PM
Jan 2015

Most gifted and generous professionals I have ever known in medicine or any other practice or occupation. I am far away from them now, but had it not been for them I might be far under about six feet of soil.

MineralMan

(146,318 posts)
9. I'm glad they were there for you.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 01:00 PM
Jan 2015

We need more careful, conscientious doctors in our health care system, whoever they are. There are too many who are neither careful or conscientious.

TexasMommaWithAHat

(3,212 posts)
13. Yes, one of my two best doctors is from Iran
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 01:33 PM
Jan 2015

The other is Indian.

One of them has a picture of himself with President Obama. It looks like the typical fundraiser, "I get thirty seconds to shake the president's hand" photo, but the picture is at least 16 X 20 and very prominently displayed!

MoonRiver

(36,926 posts)
8. My oncologist is also a Pakistani Muslim.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 12:59 PM
Jan 2015

After my former oncologist retired we specifically requested him, based on his awesome qualifications. I have no regrets. I had early stage breast cancer and just on maintenance now, but happy to be under his care.

MoonRiver

(36,926 posts)
37. Thanks, he's a very good guy.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 04:30 PM
Jan 2015

I think he's better versed on recent treatments, than my former oncologist.

PennyK

(2,302 posts)
11. My daughter's boyfriend is Muslim
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 01:24 PM
Jan 2015

He's from Bangladesh. They've been going together for about three years now, and although I don't think they'll be together forever, he's charming and I like him very much (and we're Jewish). He's attended family Bar Mitzvahs, she cooks for him at night during Ramadan, his family (who still live in Bangladesh; his father is the head of a drug company) has visited and met everyone, totally nice and in-no-way letting religion matter more than people.
The oddest thing I've learned is that people from that part of the world are terrified of dogs - even small ones! When some friends came for a visit, the young woman couldn't be in the room with my sister's little terrier.

LibDemAlways

(15,139 posts)
12. My daughter's pediatrician was a Muslim
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 01:28 PM
Jan 2015

from Iran. He was an excellent clinician, but he didn't have much respect for me as a woman. He was always brusque and somewhat dismissive, and I figured that was just his way until I came in with my husband one time. At that appointmnt, his entire demeanor changed and, for the first time, he actually listened and had a conversation with us. My husband couldn't believe this was the same guy I was always critical of for being rude. Nevertheless, we stuck with him because of his skill as a physician.

TexasMommaWithAHat

(3,212 posts)
14. My Iranian-American doctor
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 01:36 PM
Jan 2015

has always been extremely respectful of me. In fact, I think I would refer to him as a very modern-day gentleman.

MineralMan

(146,318 posts)
15. That's too bad. My wife and mother-in-law like their doctor.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 01:52 PM
Jan 2015

I've heard nothing but praise from them for him.

whatchamacallit

(15,558 posts)
16. This is a fine story
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 02:21 PM
Jan 2015

What makes me sad is that it's now apparently necessary to remind a liberal website that "By gum, they're just like normal people!?!". This is where more than a decade of war propaganda has left us.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
17. I know a family from Bosnia, Muslims that look like they just arrived from Italy.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 02:26 PM
Jan 2015

Their daughter is like her family, just like any other fair skinned citizen, and they did not advertise they were Muslim and they also did not conceal it.

Once she told me a story where a person at her high school, after months of normal school life, asked her where she was from and she said Bosnia and so she said she was Muslim.

Within days she received taunts of "terrorist" in the hallways....people are so stupid and narrow minded, how has our educational and religious system and parental and government systems failed us so regarding the simple moral lessons of understanding and tolerance?

etherealtruth

(22,165 posts)
18. My ex-husband is a Muslim (Indian subcontinent heritage)
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 02:28 PM
Jan 2015

I may not feel warm and fuzzy about him (not many feel that way about their former spouses) .... but, I had the most wonderful in-laws and we have the most incredibly wonderful children.

If I allowed bias and prejudice to control my life, I would not have the three most beautiful in the world (OK, maybe I am a little biased with that proclamation ... but just a little .... they are in the top ten beautiful children)

MineralMan

(146,318 posts)
20. Individuals can be of any type of personality.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 02:31 PM
Jan 2015

I don't think religion, national origin or much of anything else affects that simple truth.

elleng

(131,006 posts)
22. So is the pediatrician for my daughter's little boy.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 03:07 PM
Jan 2015

I haven't heard about anti-Muslim or Pakistani sentiments within that practice. They like him a lot. So is my pulmonary doc, and I like him too.

And my good friend, who is preparing dinner for us, is a Pakistani Muslim, with many friends here, in MD and NY. Notwithstanding this 'good news,' I do agree that we're not very bright, about a lot of things.

Hutzpa

(11,461 posts)
24. A bang on statement
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 03:29 PM
Jan 2015

[p]

We're not very bright, I think, as a society. We allow our prejudices to keep us from things that are beneficial. We are foolish as a society. It's sad.


What else can one add to such a truth statement.
 

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)
25. So is my urologist and optomitrist. Pakistani and Palestinian.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 03:33 PM
Jan 2015

And, the guy who sold me my new car earlier this year was an Egyptian.

All (EEEK!!) Muslims.

 

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)
29. Worse. It was a Japanese car!!
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 03:40 PM
Jan 2015

And, we talked more about Islam and Egypt than we did about the car!

He's more appalled about Islamic Terrorists than most people.

MineralMan

(146,318 posts)
30. Well, now you've done it...for sure. LOL!
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 03:42 PM
Jan 2015

I love getting chances to talk about things with people who have a different history and perspective. I always learn from them.

 

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)
32. Me too. As the child of immigrants I'm always interested in other peoples experience.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 03:50 PM
Jan 2015

And, I almost always find them to be just people with different life experiences. Sad, tragic, joyful, interesting, dull. The Pakistani urologist (a woman) went through one of India/Pakistan wars and told me how, as a young girl, she and her family hid in a trench when they're house was bombed.

The Palestinian optometrist told of her husband's inability to visit his family in Palestine because he was forbidden to do so for no apparent reason.

It's a big world full of interesting stories and people.

hue

(4,949 posts)
31. With all these testimonials to mid-eastern MDs 1 could ask "why" do so many come from there?
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 03:47 PM
Jan 2015

I know this is a little off topic but the US has many talented students who do not have the resources to go into debt for med school or other higher education degrees.

What is wrong with our educational system so that so many MDs, engineers, IT professionals, those with higher education come from India, Pakistan & other middle eastern or eastern countries?
The educational requirements for MDs from the east & mid east are not the same. Med school residents & interns almost never have an undergraduate degree. The cost in those countries is much less. Many med schools accept students whose fathers pay a huge admission and so on...


http://www.pri.org/stories/2011-04-14/foreign-trained-doctors-kept-out-practice-us


As things stand, many counties are already losing their doctors to the US. Although foreign-trained doctors have trouble getting residencies here, some succeed. 
In fact, a quarter of the doctors currently practicing in the US were trained abroad.

MineralMan

(146,318 posts)
34. I don't have an answer for that question.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 03:54 PM
Jan 2015

Our medical school system, though, limits the number of students who can attend. We have something of a physician shortage because of that. Not so much in metropolitan areas, but in other places. We also have a serious shortage of primary care physicians.

I think we need national medical schools which don't require huge loans for students to attend. I've thought that for a very long time. I considered medical school myself at one point in my life, but decided against it. I even took the MCAT, with very high scores. But, the cost and time just didn't appeal to me.

Sometimes I wonder if I made a bad choice, but there it is.

Warpy

(111,292 posts)
35. The best vascular surgeon in this town for many years is a Pakistani Muslim
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 04:23 PM
Jan 2015

He took the toughest cases and there are many people alive today because of him. I can't say his bedside manner was the best, he was as tough as an old boot, but his patients got well.

Once he realized which nurses knew what they were talking about, we got along very well. His patients, many of whom had been told there was no hope, have rated him very highly, also.

I imagine your primary doctor is being snubbed because a lot of people are uncomfortable about physicians with accents. It's silly, but I've seen it a lot over the years.

Diclotican

(5,095 posts)
36. MineralMan
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 04:27 PM
Jan 2015

MineralMan

My GP is from Cuba of all places - and also a verry good doctor - a kind hearted doctor who care for his patiens - and also vell educated in the fields - and I suspect he have a far better education than he let goes off as a GP.... I have that ability to look at the solutions instead of just the problems - and is able to get the right answers... and the propper treatment...

Diclotican

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
38. I deliberately sought out an Arab ophthalmologist.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 04:54 PM
Jan 2015

I didn't care if he was Muslim, Hindu or Pastafarian. I had a problem with a rare illness that was predominant in the Middle East and I'd had it with American doctors that were stumped with how to treat it. This Turkish gentleman saved me from going blind and I don't think it's so much a discrimination against Muslims as it is one against Middle Easterners and people perceived to be of Middle Eastern heritage. The American terrorist who slaughtered all those worshipers at the Sikh temple thought they were Muslims. So was a gunman who killed an Indian-American man. It was their ethnic appearance that they were going by, although I'm not saying that a white Muslim would get a pass.

etherealtruth

(22,165 posts)
40. Keratoconus?
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 05:30 PM
Jan 2015

Sorry for asking an intrusive question .... my youngest has keratoconus.

We live in the US, but had to seek the BEST treatment for him in Canada

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
42. No, Behcet's Disease.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 10:31 PM
Jan 2015

It's rare in the US, but common in West and East Asia. Wishing the best for your youngest.

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
39. I tend to judge docs by whether they take MediCAID patients. If not, it's a good chance they are
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 05:03 PM
Jan 2015

in it primarily for the money. Lots of Muslim docs take Medicaid. I'm sure some of them do it to attract a viable patient base. Others see it as part of their responsibility to society.

I'm find if a doc feels he/she has to limit their Medicaid patient population, but to just say "No" is wrong in my opinion.

 

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
41. I think it is always the best policy to judge
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 06:29 PM
Jan 2015

people based upon their personal merits and character. In life and in medicine, there are good and not so good people found within all races, creeds, genders, etc. I am glad you have found a great doctor. They are worth their weight in gold.

DemocraticWing

(1,290 posts)
43. I live in an area with a lot of immigrants, especially from Muslim countries.
Sun Jan 11, 2015, 10:53 PM
Jan 2015

We actually have more from Bosnia and surrounding areas, but still, the underlying point is the large amount of Muslims we live and work alongside. It's quite obvious that they're normal people just like anybody else, but as you allude to, there are many people here who deride them and don't want to do business with them. Those people are ignorant and dumb, because the Muslims who live here add a lot to our community and our local economy. Not recognizing that just leaves people out of the loop, on both sides of the equation.

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