2018-19 BTC Calendar: Ahmad Abdul-Ali

JMU played a pivotal role in Ahmad Abdul- Ali’s journey from refugee to medical resident. As a child, he fled war-torn Kabul for northern Afghanistan. After his family was accepted into a refugee education program, he moved to Virginia where he eventually attended JMU as a Centennial Scholar. The university’s academic rigor in health sciences, biology and chemistry classes prepared him well for the five-year medical surgery residency he is currently completing at the University of Michigan Medical School. “Surgery can change people in positive ways, and I want to be a part of that,” says Ahmad, who plans to repay the people at JMU who helped him achieve his goal of a medical degree by someday providing his services in a Virginia community.