Pakistani-Native Dr. Iman Qaiser Serves Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma

Dr. Qaiser

Some people may think Pakistan and Oklahoma share little in common, but one recent graduate of the rheumatology fellowship program at Louisiana State University, Shreveport (LSUS), School of Medicine disagrees. Iman Qaiser, MD, MBBS, a native of Pakistan who is starting a role as the only rheumatologist serving the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, sees natural links between the two locales and is poised to form even more.

Describing her journey from Karachi, Pakistan, to the 11,000-square-mile Choctaw Nation, Dr. Qaiser says, “While in my third year of medical school at Aga Khan University [Karachi], I had a rotation in which I could choose an elective. Rheumatology was not mandatory in our curriculum—and frankly, at that time I didn’t even know what it entailed. I dove into the pediatric rheumatology clinic, however, and was able to work with numerous children who had skin rashes and joint deformities. It was very fulfilling and enlightening.”

Landing in Her Field

Arriving in the U.S. in 2018, Dr. Qaiser undertook an internal medicine residency in Grand Rapids, Mich., at Mercy Health (now known as Trinity Health), a community hospital affiliated with Michigan State University, and then matched into the LSUS rheumatology fellowship program in 2021.

“LSU has three fellows per year,” says Dr. Qaiser, “and there is a huge demand for care, with some patients waiting six months for an initial appointment. We have a lot of uninsured individuals come through a state hospital like ours, and I am humbled to be able to help them.”

Having seen the power of rheumatology to change people’s lives, Dr. Qaiser is extending her reach as part of the ACR Workforce Solutions Committee (see sidebar).

An advocate for participation in her field, Dr. Qaiser says that ACR committee work can yield great things for rheumatology and physicians. “By delving into the inner workings of the field, my colleagues can determine their particular interests and niche,” she says. “This is especially valuable when you are starting out on your career path.”