New American Citizen Training Tomorrow's Doctors

This aired on WANE TV August 18, 2015

A couple of corrections however, I am not an MD. I am a PharmD and I work at Manchester to prepare tomorrow's pharmacists :)

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By Eric Olson

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (21Alive) -- Manchester University’s new School of Pharmacy on the Parkview North medical campus…preparing tomorrow’s medical specialists for critical careers in America’s health care system.
And among the faculty keeping the school running smoothly is a young Palestinian MD born and raised in Qatar.
Dr. Ahmed Abdelmageed was born in Qatar into a large family of refugees expelled from their home when the Israelis occupied Palestine after the Second World War. Abdelmageed graduated high school in Qatar, moved to Canada for college and earned his medical degree in Michigan.
He joined the School of Pharmacy when it was created four years ago to become Director of Experiential Education, responsible for organizing internships for students in local pharmacy’s, hospitals, clinics and medical labs..and organizing students mandatory public service projects around Fort Wayne.
Abdelmageed is deeply involved in public service himself, volunteering at Matthew 25, various interfaith organizations and serving on the board of the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace.
“So it’s personally driven,” Abdelmageed explains, “it’s religiously driven as well as a Muslim. That’s a huge part of our faith, to be service oriented to help the poor and the underserved.”
Abdelmageed says as a Muslim he has found a welcoming community in Fort Wayne, a wonderful city to raise his two small children..a community seemingly free from negative experiences encountered by Muslims elsewhere.
“The unfortunate reality is you have less than one percent that claims to be Muslims that reflect poorly on 99% of the population. But the beauty of our community here is that they don’t necessarily get sucked into that propaganda. I was honestly surprised by the level of generosity and welcoming of Fort Wayne, it’s an amazingly diverse community for as small a size as it is.”
After years of country hopping Abdelmageed says he has found a home in Northeast Indiana, one he is dedicated to improving, to help nurture understanding among its people..to make a better life for his children.
“I want them to grow up in a community or a society that doesn’t care about your skin color, your religious affiliation,” he says. “Whatever you bring to the table they appreciate you for who you are and that’s what I’m trying to work for.”

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