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My father left Pakistan in 1957 to seek greener pastures in the UK. Although he was a pathologist by profession, he chose to join the British Military. My parents had an arranged marriage and my mum moved to the UK at the age of 17 from Lahore. I was born in a tiny village in Hampshire called Tidworth. As an army child, we moved about every 2-3 years which resulted in me being placed in a boarding school from the ages of 8-18. I attended Epsom College in Surrey and then Medical school at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in London |
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| Actually my father was not that keen on me doing medicine, but as every parent knows it is the prerogative of the child to do the exact opposite of the parent’s wishes. Deep down I think they were proud when I got into medical school. Of course we all know that they should have told me to be an investment banker |
| I moved to the US as it was my distinct impression that there was no clearly defined endpoint to postgraduate training in the UK. In the US things are far more structured. Also being called Yousaf Ali in England wasn’t always easy, particularly in an elite boarding school. Americans don’t whine or put up with nonsense; if they have a problem they deal with it and move on. The working environment in the US is absolutely fantastic. I have never received any prejudice at any level; it is a quintessential meritocracy. |
| Rheumatology is a subspecialty of medicine that deals with arthritis and the immune system. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in America. One of the major misconceptions about my specialty is that arthritis only affects old people; however, the majority of my patients are between the ages of 40-50. I deal with diseases such as Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis which if untreated, can have potentially serious complications such as lung and kidney failure. Fortunately in 2007, medical advances are considerable and treatments exist that can vastly improve quality of life. |
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There is a lot of detective work involved as some of the symptoms can be vague and nonspecific. For instance, in the early stages of Lupus, patients can present with fatigue or rash as the only symptom and it can be tricky to tease out what is going on. Many viral illnesses can have similar presentations. I personally find it very challenging, although it can also be emotionally draining dealing with people who are in constant pain and suffering. When I get home I just want to switch off and not deal with Medicine or anything intellectual. I despise shows like ER and Chicago Hope |
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| Osteoporosis is multifactorial, and more common in thin white women. I doubt that the actual prevalence is known in Pakistani women since it has not been studied. My advice is to do weight bearing exercise, drink milk and take calcium supplements if you are postmenopausal. Fifteen minutes of sunlight daily is also beneficial for bone health. Encourage your children to drink as much milk as possible, maximal skeletal growth occurs in the teens. If they are overweight non-fat milk or yogurt is fine |
| Lupus is the prototypical autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the joints, lungs, skin and kidneys. It is a highly variable disease from very mild to quite serious. Early symptoms include joint pain, fatigue, rash and hair loss. If you are concerned, discuss it with your GP. Treatments include sunblock, steroids and immune suppressants. Ideally you should see a specialist such as a Rheumatologist for this. |
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I don’t know much about the Saturday Post’s readers, but I imagine it is a readership primarily based on Pakistani expats. I would say that it is important to embrace the society that we immigrated to. Growing up in England I felt the older generation were stuck in a time warp and spent all day reminiscing about the good old days back home. In the process many failed to integrate and ended up living an unreal life based on regrets and an irrational fear of losing ones identity. After 30 years in a foreign country they had made no British friends and were in shock when they went back to Pakistan and found a country they could no longer recognize. Strike a balance, build bridges and live a healthy life. |
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