Dr. Waseem Ahmad, MD

Thank you for taking time to visit my home page. I hope you will feel more acquainted with me after reading my brief profile. You will also find some web links here regarding various health topics that you may find useful.

Why I became a physician.

I grew up in Lahore, Pakistan where I received my initial education and a medical degree at King Edwards Medical College, one of the top medical schools in the country. When I came to the US, I was able to do my residency at the University of Connecticut. From there, I worked in an underserved, rural community of Louisiana for two years and then did my Fellowship in the field of Nephrology at the University of Arkansas.

A number of factors led to my becoming a physician. My father lost both of his parents to poor health care and dreamed of having a permanent doctor in his family. He felt that I had the right make-up of intellect and empathy to be a successful physician. From the start, I found the field of medicine to be the most …fascinating field of all and to this day the fascination has not ended. I thank my parents for judging my character and inclinations and guiding me properly from a very early age.

Why I chose my specialty.

I chose Nephrology for my specialty because it is intellectually stimulating and rewarding at the same time. It encompasses not only the kidneys, but many other fields of medicine and, in my opinion, helps one become a better doctor. To me, the kidney is the ‘window’ to an individual’s overall state of health. My specialty allows me to interact with many other disciplines of medicine and that is a great challenge for me. The best teachers and mentors I had during my training were mostly nephrologists. One other aspect of my specialty is that it also provides an enduring bond with my dialysis patients, who are a source of great satisfaction and inspiration. Getting to know the individual and his or her family is very much a part of my work.

What I like about Kaiser Permanente.

I joined Kaiser Permanente in 2001 for one simple reason. It took the financial aspect of medical decision making processes, out of the equation. I also liked the integrated health care system with stress on all aspects of medicine including prevention. I share with my colleagues, a sincere interest in balancing family life with our profession and Kaiser Permanente supports this lifestyle choice. I truly feel that the Kaiser Permanente health care model is the future of the American health care delivery system.

My philosophy on healing.

Practicing medicine is not just science and healing does not occur by simply dispensing drugs or treating symptoms. It requires meticulous attention to all aspects of human life. Physical, mental and social life should be in sync for the healing process to occur and a person to thrive. I am glad that I belong to an institution which is committed to these issues.

My personal interests.

You can call me a sports junkie. I love to play squash, tennis, golf and cricket. I also like to travel and go abroad yearly.

The Bay Area has so much to offer and I enjoy going out with my friends to different communities and neighborhood to partake of different cuisines. I enjoy the multi-cultural aspect of the Bay Area as it weaves pieces of so many countries and lifestyles into a wonderful and unique place on earth.

May we all live long and thrive!