Ahmed (Shafii) A. Mohamed, M.D.
Senior Associate Consultant, Community Internal Medicine
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Dr. Mohamed is conducting systematic reviews of cancer-screening interventions for Somali immigrants. He is also using the Rochester Epidemiology Project to carry out two retrospective cohort studies: cancer screening adherence and cancer incidence for Somali patients in southeast Minnesota. Upon completion of this research, Dr. Mohamed hopes to facilitate participatory adaptation of a cancer prevention intervention with community and practice partners and to pilot and evaluate the intervention's effectiveness.
An immigrant himself, Dr. Mohamed is passionate about helping other immigrants achieve and maintain healthy lives. Family and community inspired him to choose a medical career, which he's advancing through research and education in combination with his medical practice.
What moment or experience in your life influenced your decision to be a clinician?
As a teenager, I helped my mother take care of my grandmother, who had multiple health conditions. It was great to see her feel better after her treatments. I also enjoyed science, so I decided to pursue medicine as a career.
What motivated you to become a Population Health Science Scholar?
There is only so much I can do taking care of individual patients when health problems are occurring at the population level. As an immigrant, I want to build on my personal experiences with my family to improve the health of my local community.
I have experience in community-based research that I'd like to expand on by acquiring new research skills and applying them more broadly. Being a Population Health Science Scholar will allow me to reach this goal.
How will your research improve patient care or impact public health?
My focus is on cancer screening in populations with limited English proficiency. Clinical data show that there's a wide disparity in cancer screening adherence between patients with limited English proficiency and the general patient population. My goal is to ultimately develop clinical or community-based interventions to address this disparity.
Why did you choose Mayo Clinic to pursue your career?
There are many reasons, both personal and professional.
I grew up in Rochester, so my family has received care at Mayo Clinic for more than 20 years. I know the community here well and have worked with community leaders on health-related research since before beginning my medical training.
Then, I did my internal medicine residency here and have continued to join efforts to improve the health of my community. Finally, I have excellent mentors and resources at Mayo Clinic that will help me accomplish my career goals.