Abdul Hameed studied to be a physical therapist and worked for a year in a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.
But most of the patients he treated were seriously injured or ill, and he felt like his work was too little, too late. He began to think about preventive health, not just for individuals, but large populations.
鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃hat if we could prevent a disease before it鈥檚 happening? What if the disease doesn鈥檛 happen, so we don鈥檛 need doctors or physical therapists?鈥欌�� he says.
So Hameed decided to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in public health in the United States. A friend, studying on a Fulbright Scholarship, recommended UMass Lowell, and Hameed liked its coursework, faculty and diversity. UML also offered Hameed part-time work to help defray the cost.
When he started out, Hameed wasn鈥檛 sure exactly what area of public health he wanted to specialize in, but two practical experiences helped him find his calling.
First, he worked with Clinical Instructor Casey Le贸n on the Age-Friendly Community initiative in Lawrence, Mass. Le贸n helped to connect him with his next opportunity: working with the infection prevention specialist at Parkland Medical Center, a hospital in Derry, N.H.聽
When Hameed began his three-month internship, he worked with his supervisor, Sagir Muhammad, on improving the hospital staff鈥檚 handwashing practices. He did daily rounds with the staff to make sure that they were following all of the infection prevention protocols.
And then, COVID-19 hit the U.S., and patients began showing up at Parkland with symptoms. Hameed had a chance to observe and assist as Muhammad developed testing and prevention protocols for the brand-new, deadly and highly infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus.聽
鈥淐oronavirus was quite new at that time, so my supervisor and I checked on the guidance with the CDC. We were continually researching updated information and guidelines and communicating those to the staff,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e were constantly improving the testing scenario.鈥�
Hameed was so impressed by Muhammad that he decided to become an infection prevention specialist himself.聽
鈥淗e had a very inspiring personality, and I definitely wanted to follow in his footsteps because I really admired the work he was doing,鈥� Hameed says.
With help from the Career and Co-op Center, Le贸n and Muhammad, Hameed got a job as an infection prevention specialist with the CDC not long after graduating.聽
He鈥檚 based in the Minnesota Department of Public Health, where he inspects nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living facilities 鈥� virtually, for now 鈥� to make sure that they are following CDC and state guidelines on preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Hameed says he also got job offers from hospitals in Florida and California. But he chose the CDC job in snowy St. Paul, Minn., for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with the premier public health agency in the United States 鈥� and to help fight a historic pandemic.
鈥淯sually the CDC doesn鈥檛 hire internationals, but they鈥檝e changed their policy in the past year,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檒l never get another chance for this experience.鈥�