Local surgeon appointed Section President at the Royal Society of Medicine

Mr Muhamad Quraishi, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH), has been named as the Royal Society of Medicine’s Section President for Laryngology and Rhinology.

The section reports and discusses the current practice and advances in disorders and treatments regarding the larynx (also known as the voice box) and nose. ‘Q’ as he is affectionately known amongst colleagues, was given the official title of ‘Section President’ at a ceremony on Friday 2 November, which was also attended by Richard Parker, the Trust’s Chief Executive.

Highly respected amongst his peers and patients, Mr Quraishi was born in Pakistan and qualified from Dow Medical College, Karachi in 1985. The surgeon also studied at Cadet College Hasan Abdal in Attock, Punjab.

Since then, he has been no stranger to achievements. In 2016, Q was appointed as the first British-Pakistani surgeon ‘Visiting Professor’ in China and just last year received the title ‘Officer of the British Empire’ (OBE) from Her Majesty the Queen. This accolade was in honour of the treatment he has provided to the many patients he has cared for in the 30 years he has spent working within the NHS, 16 of which have been at DBTH.

Q is particularly well known internationally for his work with the ‘ENT Masterclass’. Launched by the surgeon in Doncaster almost 15 years ago, the pioneering series of free lectures, workshops and demonstrations provide high quality training in the study of diseases of ENT and have taken place across four continents with participants from across the globe.

Speaking about his appointment as Section President, Q said: “I am delighted to have been elected to this position within the Royal Society of Medicine. Alongside my work with the ENT Masterclass, I intend to use my time in post as a passionate advocate for the specialties of laryngology and rhinology and look forward to helping to foster, steer and share advancements in care and treatment in this particular area of medicine.

“Being of British-Pakistani origin, I believe that this appointment is also a great honour for Pakistan and speaks a lot about the contribution of the British Pakistani people around the world. I hope that my elevation to this post will inspire British Pakistani children and others alike.”

Elected unopposed by around 500 medical peers across the United Kingdom, Q will serve one year in post.

Richard Parker, Chief Executive at DBTH, said: “We are extremely fortunate to work alongside Q. The expertise with which he practices in his specialty is world-renowned, as is his appetite to share the knowledge he has accumulated throughout a very successful thirty year career. Within the NHS, it is not uncommon to work with profoundly skilled individuals, however, Q’s commitment to patient care and treatment stands-out, even amongst such impressive company. This recent achievement  has been hard-earned and Q will be a great champion for his specialty.”

As well as Q’s OBE and being awarded Visiting Professor status at the Capital Medical University in Beijing, the married father of two holds a host of achievements which include achieving the National Clinical Excellence Silver Award in 2015 and being a finalist for the Silver Scalpel Award from the Association of Surgeons in Training in 2014.