Q&A with Abdul-Aziz Ahmed ’02

HBO Max’s medical drama The Pitt has drawn praise for its realism and earned comparisons to ER, the landmark series that inspired a generation of doctors — including Dr. Abdul-Aziz “Aziz” Ahmed. Now an assistant attending physician in the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, Dr. Ahmed thrives in the pace, unpredictability, chaos, and teamwork of emergency medicine.

Did you grow up wanting to be a doctor?
When I was growing up, I liked to watch the television show ER. I liked seeing African American doctors, like Dr. Peter Benton and Dr. Greg Pratt, and it inspired my brother and me to volunteer at our local hospital. We spoke with the coordinators on the phone, and they were excited for us to get started. When we showed up, they took one look at us and said all their opportunities had already been filled. It turned me off medicine.

But while studying economics at Columbia University, I was encouraged to take some pre-med classes. I took general chemistry and began volunteering at St. Luke's Hospital. I spent my time in the emergency room and the pediatrics clinic. I really liked being in the hospital and observing the chaos in the ER, and I knew that was where I wanted to be.

What drew you to emergency medicine — and what almost pulled you in another direction? 
While shadowing in the ER, I was interested in the surgical procedures being performed and considered general surgery or trauma surgery. While in medical school, I enjoyed my rotations in obstetrics, orthopedics, and anesthesia. But I enjoyed the range of procedures associated with emergency medicine. The variety and pace are part of it, but the responsibility of being present for patients when it matters most is what resonates most with me.

You did a fellowship in sports medicine. What inspired that? 
I love sports. While at Pomfret, I played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. I love watching basketball, football, and hockey. During my intern year, my senior resident was preparing to do a sports medicine fellowship. We stayed in touch, and when she returned for an attending position, she told me how much she enjoyed it. I was excited to learn the opportunities I could pursue after, including sideline coverage and working for teams.

Emergency medicine and sports medicine offer very different rhythms. What does each give you that the other doesn’t?

I like the variety of patients I see in the ER. You must be on your toes, and it can sometimes be overwhelming. There’s unpredictability, but you also see your familiar “bread-and-butter” cases, which help balance out the chaos. I also like the people I work with in the ER. It takes a special kind of medical professional to work in an emergency setting on a daily basis. We work well together and support each other during and after challenging situations and difficult cases, which is something I deeply value.

In sports medicine, I like helping athletes and non-athletes make progress in their treatment. In the ER, we often don’t see our patients again. In sports medicine, I’m able to slow down and follow patients through their recovery. There’s something meaningful about helping someone return to their sport or perform daily life activities without pain, and seeing that what I’ve recommended has helped them return to their regular lives. It’s also nice to focus on treating the musculoskeletal system.

You have gotten some amazing opportunities working in sports medicine. Tell us about some.
I serve as an event physician for the NBA, supporting select domestic and international events each year. For example, last year, I traveled to Africa for the NBA Basketball Without Borders camp, where I was responsible for overseeing the medical care of forty-eight athletes, along with their chaperones and staff. I coordinated with the local EMS, paramedics, and hospitals to establish emergency action plans while caring for athletes with conditions ranging from acute orthopedic injuries, like sprains and fractures, to infectious diseases like malaria. It’s both clinically demanding and deeply rewarding. 

How has your sports medicine training influenced your care in the ER?
We see a high volume of musculoskeletal injuries in the ER. My training and experience in sports medicine allows me to help my ER colleagues determine which tests to perform or whether their patients need to see the orthopedic team.  My sports medicine training helps me manage those cases efficiently and counsel patients on next steps. To help bridge that gap in care, I started an emergency department-orthopedic sports medicine clinic at Weill Cornell, where non-surgical patients, including those treated and discharged from the ER, can follow up for continued management.

You describe the ER as stressful but energizing. What keeps pulling you back to it?
It has crossed my mind, but I don’t have any plans of leaving emergency medicine in the immediate future. I enjoy the stress, variety, and stimulation of working in the ER. If the right position working within the sports medicine field came up, I might consider it, but the ER keeps pulling me back in.

What does a typical day look like working in the ER?
Every shift is a little different, which is part of what keeps it interesting and keeps me engaged. I usually work afternoon shifts, which tend to be the busiest. I work closely with physician assistants, residents, and nurse practitioners to review cases and care for patients. There are traumas, but I have gotten used to them. Sometimes there are surprises, where a patient comes to us with one condition or a straightforward complaint, and their workup reveals a serious or life-threatening condition. Those situations can be challenging and throw you off a little. The typical day includes a variety of different cases.

What are some misconceptions people have about working in an ER?
A common misconception is that the ER is constant chaos — that we are flooded with emergencies, doing multiple procedures per shift, and that every patient needs to be admitted to the ICU. Or it is the opposite — that we are just hanging out, waiting around for something critical to happen. There are a lot of "bread-and-butter" cases of chest pain, back pain, or other concerns that feel urgent to patients but may not ultimately be acute, life-threatening emergencies. That doesn’t mean we take these cases any less seriously. Most of our job is determining which cases require immediate intervention and risk-stratifying those that can be treated and safely managed with follow-up outside the ER. There is also a belief that if you can’t see your primary care doctor tomorrow, the situation becomes an emergency. Clinically, that isn’t always the case. At the same time, for many patients, the ER may be their only point of care – whether due to lack of insurance, limited access to primary care, or difficulty managing chronic conditions. We try to approach each visit with that broader context in mind. Many patients come in understandably worried about their symptoms, so we do a lot of reassuring people that they are going to be okay, despite what the internet may say. We also cannot diagnose and fix every problem on the spot. Our responsibility is to rule out what’s dangerous, identify and treat what needs immediate attention, and provide clear guidance on next steps, including signs to watch out for and where to go for appropriate follow-up. We are there to manage potentially life-threatening situations. For lower-risk cases, we try to solve the current issue and direct them to the appropriate follow-up providers.

You mentioned earlier that you liked watching ER when you were younger. What medical shows do you like to watch now?
My wife, Jen, likes to watch medical shows. Sometimes I watch but get distracted by how inaccurate they are. The Pitt is different. I watch it religiously and like how they act, talk, and work together. It is more medically accurate than ER and mirrors what I experience at work. We don’t seem to have the same type of cases every day because their situations are heightened for entertainment purposes, but the way they treat their cases is accurate. 

Do you call the ER “The Pit?”
I only heard that phrase once in medical school. It is a bit of a derogatory term, but in some ways, it is true. There are so many things going on, so many medical professionals, and so many patients with a variety of ailments, all coming together in a controlled-chaos environment. I call it a jungle rather than a pit. 

Are there any skills that you learned on the Hilltop that prepared you for a career in medicine?
The study habits that I learned at Pomfret helped me in college and medical school. My experience as a leader, particularly as a prefect, helped me as an attending physician. With everyone looking to me for guidance, I learned to work with and get along with many different people while balancing multiple responsibilities and ensuring nothing fell through the cracks. As a shy person, I also learned to be more open and talk more.

What would you tell a high school student who is considering becoming a doctor?
It is not an easy process, and before you start, be sure it's something you really want. Volunteer at your local hospital and shadow doctors. Make sure you know what road you are about to go down and that it truly interests you. This is a career of serving others.
 

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