Dr. Mustansar J Akhtar, MD

Hi. Welcome to my Web page. I'm delighted to have this opportunity to introduce myself to you and share information about my practice. I feel honored to work at Kaiser Permanente because of my wonderful colleagues and members, and I look forward to working with you to care for you and your family members. I hope this page will help you get to know me.

Biography
Even when I was a young child I knew that I wanted to be a doctor. After medical school, I decided to come to the United States for my post-graduate medical training. Caring for the health of children and helping them during their illness was my main ambition. Pediatric care was the only specialty that could fulfill my goals. I feel fortunate to have been accepted at the Kaiser Permanente Pediatric Residency Program, San Francisco, California. I really enjoyed working with my colleagues and teachers there, and it was the most memorable time of my education. During residency, pediatric cardiology fascinated me the most …because there are so many different congenital cardiac malformations and their management is very challenging. Acceptance to the Stanford University department of pediatric cardiology fellowship was like a dream come true. The training I received from my mentors, world-class physicians, was phenomenal. I've been practicing pediatric cardiology for 10 years now, and the smile of an innocent heart patient still gives me great satisfaction.

About my practice
Pediatric cardiology as a career is a very special opportunity to connect and help children of all ages in a meaningful way, utilizing medical skills and knowledge but also listening and responding to kids' needs. It is a privilege to help their parents understand, to address their concerns, and help get them through that very difficult time when their child has just been diagnosed with a serious heart condition. I feel very honored that parents entrust me with their kid's care, and I strive to treat them as I would my own family. I like to perform my own echocardiograms right in the office with parents present. I try to provide them efficiently with reliable information to ease their worries.

How I thrive
My family is my major priority, and keeping balance in my life is very important to me. I enjoy family outings to different games. I try to remain active with my exercise activities. My wife and I enjoy long driving trips with our son and daughter, and we like quiet family time at home. I firmly believe in the philosophy of total health and try to live it in my life every day.