A Tribute to My Professors at Dow Medical College
“I find my youth in my professors.”
As I reflect on my journey through life and medicine, I find myself returning, time and again, to the hallowed halls of Dow Medical College. It was within those classrooms and clinics that I first encountered the towering figures who would shape my world—not just as doctors, but as men and women of intellect, discipline, and profound humanity.
When I was young—barely 18 years old, filled with ambition and uncertainty—I looked up to my professors with awe. They were the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom. Some stood in their 40s, seasoned but energetic; others, in their 50s and 60s, carried a gravitas that spoke of lifetimes spent in the service of medicine and teaching. To me, they seemed ancient, almost mythical—sages who held the keys to secrets I was just beginning to grasp.
They were more than educators. They were mentors, role models, and moral compasses. Their words—sometimes stern, sometimes kind—shaped not just my clinical skills, but my habits, my thinking, my character. They demanded excellence, but also taught compassion. They taught us not just how to treat disease, but how to treat the human being behind it.
Today, at 65 years of age, I find a strange and beautiful reversal: I see my youth in them. In their old photographs, now lovingly enhanced with modern tools, I see not just their faces, but the fire of their guidance that once lit our path. Their voices still echo in my memory, their gestures remain vivid, and their teachings continue to guide me. The cycle of mentorship is eternal—and I am forever grateful to have been shaped by theirs.
This tribute is for them—for the ones who inspired us, disciplined us, nurtured us, and believed in us. May their legacy live on not only in the minds of their students but in the thousands of lives we’ve gone on to touch, thanks to them.
A Tribute to My Professors at Dow Medical College
“I find my youth in my professors.”
As I reflect on my journey through medicine and life, my thoughts return with profound emotion to the mentors who shaped my earliest steps at Dow Medical College. They were more than teachers—they were guiding lights who nurtured, challenged, and transformed us.
My very first mentor was Dr. Khawaja Moin. He had been my father’s classmate at Dow, and after my father’s untimely passing, Dr. Moin stepped in with quiet strength and compassion. Though he served on the clinical side in the college, he made sure I stayed connected with him once I joined Dow. His presence brought comfort and continuity, like an extension of my father’s spirit watching over me. His sudden and untimely death remains one of the most sorrowful memories of my student years—a moment that shook us all and left a lasting void.
As the years passed and I approached graduation, another great mentor entered my life: Dr. Shafi Quraishy. His steady guidance during my house job at Civil Hospital was instrumental in shaping my clinical skills, professionalism, and confidence. His mentorship extended beyond borders, playing a pivotal role in preparing me for my postgraduate training in the United States. When he too passed away prematurely, the loss was once again deeply personal.
These men—Dr. Khawaja Moin and Dr. Shafi Queraishy—stand in my memory as pillars of mentorship, embodying the very best of Dow Medical College. They nurtured not only my medical knowledge but also my values, resilience, and vision. Now, at 65, I look back and realize: my youth lives in them.
As I enhance their old photographs with the tools of today, I see not just images from the past—I see legacies. I see the men who helped me become who I am. This is my tribute to them, and to all my professors at Dow, whose wisdom continues to guide me even now.
With eternal gratitude and reverence.
Rizwan A. Karatela, MD
Thursday, August 7, 2025
