Dr. Asjad Ali first became interested in medicine through his father, who was a chemical engineer who worked at a fertilizer company. “He was very knowledgeable about science and plants and how things worked in nature and that helped get me interested in medicine,” he explains. “It’s a great career for those who enjoy science and helping people.”

Dr. Ali enjoys practicing family medicine because he can get to know and treat the whole family – from toddlers to the elderly. Being a family practitioner also gives him the opportunity to really get to know his patients. “For me, working in family medicine is an ideal mix. It’s more than just treating a range of problems and different age groups – it’s a great way to build long-term relationships.”

According to Dr. Ali, the essence of family medicine is preventing problems before they happen. “Through preventive screenings and other methods, we can really have a positive impact on the health of patients. I think this is the main role of the family physician – preventive care.”

Dr. Ali believes that our nation has to focus more on providing good primary care services for patients. “I think primary care has to be given the highest priority. We spend a lot of money on fixing a patient’s hip fracture, but we spend very little on trying to prevent a fall from happening in the first place. For me, this is an important issue in providing good, overall healthcare.”

During his free time, Dr. Ali enjoys being with his wife and family. When he was younger, he liked playing cricket and would like to find a cricket league to play in again someday. Dr. Ali also enjoys traveling when he has the chance.