‘Anything is possible’: How Nabeeha Shakil-Ahmad began medical school two months after having a baby — and why she sees hardship as a privilege to serve
Mother, wife, daughter, caregiver, and medical student — Nabeeha Shakil-Ahmad balances more roles than most of her classmates at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.
And while she carries them with a calm sense of purpose and gratitude, the self-described nontraditional student has also taken on another role: encouraging others who may feel that the path to medicine is too difficult or unconventional.
The second-year medical student has mentored younger students, presented research, served on panels, and actively shares her experiences with others navigating similar paths.
Her message, however, is less about achievement and more about perspective.
“The biggest thing I want people to take away is that hardship is part of life,” says Shakil-Ahmad. “Medical school is hard. Life is hard. This just happens to be my hard. But I try to look at it as a privilege, an opportunity to grow and serve.”
(Only partial stories are posted here with hopes to provide a brief overview and introduction to my most recent work. The full version of this story may be found on the OUWB InMedicine site here.)
