Q: In your new
role as medical director of the cancer service line, what will you be focusing
on in the near future?
A: “Our ultimate goal is to provide state of the art,
comprehensive and compassionate care for our cancer patients. I use that as my
motto in my everyday work.
The landscape of health care is
changing and we are well positioned to continue to provide excellent care.
Several new and exciting milestones have occurred that make us confident of a
bright future, including the BJC collaborative, Cox Branson and the
establishment of a new Medical Research department.
While we are recognized as the
place to go for cancer care in Springfield, our goal is to be the primary
program for a much larger area and to ensure the highest quality of care and access
to clinical trials for a larger population.”
Q: How did you
come to practice here at CoxHealth?
A: “I was born
and raised in Syria, where my parents had migrated from Turkey. My family is
Christian, a minority in Turkey, and because of various religious upheavals my
grandparents had to literally migrate every 30-50 years. When I decided to
pursue my education, I wanted to do that in the United States.
I did my medical training at the
University of Chicago and then joined the faculty of the university. I never
thought I’d leave the university –
until I met and married a Missourian! It was one of the best things to ever
happen to me. She’s from Columbia, and we wanted to come to Missouri. We came
here in July of 2000 and it has been a perfect fit professionally and for my
family (my wife, Kristen, and our three children Adam, 3, Emily, 10, and Amy,
14).
Q: What
originally drew you into oncology as a specialty?
A: “For most of
us, cancer has affected someone we love and that triggers an interest. The
challenge of conquering cancer has been a driving force for me from my medical
school days.
My friends in medical school would say,
‘Why would you want to do that? It’s so depressing.’ But it’s really the
opposite. We have a true sense of triumph against cancer and have the actual
data and results to prove it. I enjoy what I do and come to work every day
looking forward to taking care of my patients.”
Q: What do you
enjoy doing in your time off from work?
A: “I love
running marathons and half-marathons, and I like fitness and sports in general.
I’ve played sports like basketball and soccer all my life. But contact sports
have become an issue (laughs). In 2002, I broke my arm playing soccer and I was
in a cast for two months. Since then, I’ve really focused on running and now I
enjoy it. When I don’t do it, I feel odd, as if I haven’t brushed my teeth!”
Q: What would
people be surprised to learn about you?
A: “I’m a very predictable guy to be honest with you. Huh.
(pauses) Should I call my wife?” He dials his iPhone and soon Kristen is on the line. Her answer is quick: “The
biggest thing is how he plays with our son. He’s so great with Adam – people
would be amazed at what he does.”
The Abdallas explain that 3-year-old
Adam arrived after they had thought they were finished having children.
“He’s so academic and so professional,
but yet he can go outside, get on the ground and dig in the dirt with Adam. He’s
so nurturing, it’s amazing.”
Dr. Abdalla says, “He was a
surprise kid for us – a pleasant
surprise! I can be with him all day and all night and absolutely enjoy
every second of it.”
Bonus round: More on what Dr. Abdalla says people might be surprised to know
about him:
“I like rock music. I
picked that up with running. When I drive, I listen to NPR. My girls hate that!
But when I run I listen to AC/DC. My favorite band of all time is Dire Straits.
I’ve followed Mark Knopfler since the late 80s. I’ve seen him a few times. He’s
really awesome.”
His love of sports has also
led to a tradition with friends he’s had since his residency training:
“Every year, I go to first
and second round March Madness games with three friends. For more than 15 years,
we’ve done that every year. Since our days in Chicago, we choose a city and we
go. This year, we went to Kansas City. We don’t follow a particular team, we
just choose a city and see all the games.”
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