Meet Dr. Syed Ali, Family Practice
For Dr. Syed Ali, becoming a doctor was a continuation of his interest in science and his desire to help people. “As a physician, you are not only partly a scientist, but also a social worker and many other things as well,” he explains. “It’s what makes medicine such an interesting career.”
Dr. Ali believes the best way to diagnose a patient is to sit down and listen carefully to them. “The importance of a good physical history and examination cannot be over-estimated. Of course, we always take advantage of tests and procedures where appropriate, but it all starts with a physical exam and discussion with the patient. In many ways, diagnosing a disease is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, and finding the right answer always begins with the information that the patient provides you.”
According to Dr. Ali, medicine is changing very fast these days. “More and more information is available to physicians now, and keeping up with all that information takes time. The pace of change certainly seems to be accelerating.” One of the more recent changes that Dr. Ali enjoys is the adoption of electronic medical records. “It’s great to have so much patient information right at your fingertips. It’s hard to imagine practicing without them now. Electronic medical records are really a great asset to care.”
Doctor Ali is a family physician and enjoys performing procedures in the office. “I have experience in surgery, so I enjoy doing procedures such as skin biopsies, draining abscesses, repairing lacerations, and joint injections for arthritis. I enjoy doing these procedures and it’s more convenient for my patients to have them done right in the office.”
When he is not with his patients, Dr. Ali enjoys being with his wife and family. Dr. Ali also likes to read and keep up with the latest developments in medicine, science, technology and astronomy. He also enjoys the outdoors with his family and goes to scenic places such as the White Mountains, Nova Scotia, and the Grand Canyon when he can.