Medical college names center for UT trustee/professor emeritus

March 9, 2012 | News, UToday
By Meghan Cunningham



Hussain

The medical college in Pakistan where Dr. S. Amjad Hussain received his medical degree recently named a new clinical skills laboratory in his honor.

Hussain, UT trustee and professor emeritus of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, was recognized by the Khyber Medical College in Peshawar, Pakistan, in January when the school named its new $1.5 million S. Amjad Hussain Clinical Skills Laboratory. It is the first center at the college to be named after anyone.

“I felt overwhelmed and humbled by this honor. I firmly believe that I did not do anything for the college out of the ordinary,” Hussain said. “I have always maintained close links with the college and have from time to time helped out, albeit in very small and miniscule ways. I did not expect anything of this nature, particularly of this magnitude.”

Hussain graduated from Khyber Medical College in 1962 and after completing his medical training in the United States, returned to Khyber for four years. Later when he moved back to the United States, Hussain continued yearly visits to Pakistan, where he taught classes in surgery at Khyber Medical College. He also performed surgeries at the university hospital until his retirement in 2004.

“I made a commitment to myself that I would go back every year to teach,” Hussain said. “I received an almost free education and that education helped get me to somewhere. I feel an obligation to pay back the moral debt I owe to the college and to the people of Pakistan.”

Hussain also endowed a visiting professorship between his alma mater and the UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences, enabling young Khyber faculty members to travel to Toledo to learn new teaching and research techniques. Nine people have benefited from that program. He also has sponsored research projects at Khyber Medical College as well as the University of Peshawar.

Hussain, whose accomplishments and philanthropy long have been recognized by Pakistan, also had been offered university presidency positions at two institutions near his hometown, but circumstances did not allow him to accept.

Click to access the login or register cheese