What is your professional background?
I graduated from Dhaka Medical College in Bangladesh. I also have a Master’s in Public Health from the University of South Carolina. I joined UMMC in 2008 and I have been practicing internal medicine and sleep medicine since that time. I am involved in teaching the residents and fellows as well as in research in sleep medicine.
You are a reviewer for the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Tell us about your role in sleep medicine at UMMC.
Since joining UMMC, I have been working on the accessibility of treating sleep disorders. The visibility of the sleep disorder clinic was very low in the past and in fact, many providers were not aware of it. The waiting time for an appointment in the past was months, but I have worked effortlessly on this and now the wait time is down to a few days-weeks. In fact, some patients may get the sleep study on the same day they see the sleep physician.
I have also served as the Program Director of Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program and ensured the program maintained ACGME requirements. I also was able to secure funding to have an additional position for a second sleep fellow (we now have 2 positions per year available).
What advice would you give to someone pursuing medicine today?
My advice to someone considering medicine as a career is to follow your heart. One should not be a doctor because of salary; you can make similar or more money in other professions. It takes a very long time and great patience to become a doctor. It takes even more patience to treat the patients. However, the smile on their face is the pay off. One should only be a doctor if they have the patience to take care of sick people and feel rewarded when they look at you with their thankful eyes.
What do you like most about UMMC?
The great thing about working at UMMC is the autonomy. You can work at your own pace without much pressure. The people are friendly and easy to work with.
Tell us something about yourself that people may not know.
Probably no one at UMMC knows that photography and videography are my favorite hobby. I am very much involved in the Bangladseh and Indian cultural community and organize cultural programs several times a year. I have produced 3 telefilms in Bengali (with English subtitles) in the last couple of years. I wrote the scripts, filmed, edited and directed the entire production. Those films are on YouTube now for public viewing for everyone. Here is one for your viewing pleasure: https://youtu.be/u0Ed0jwg1Gs
Progress Notes 