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FLORENCE – North Alabama Medical Center (NAMC) is proud to announce the launch of its newest Graduate Medical Education initiative: the Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship. This specialized program marks a significant milestone in NAMC’s mission to expand advanced medical training and enhance specialized patient care within the Shoals region.
“Launching our Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship is a bold step toward redefining what’s possible in patient-centered care,” said Mike Howard, CEO and Market President of North Alabama Medical Center. “By investing in both advanced clinical capabilities and physician education, we are building a stronger future for our patients, our community, and the field of medicine.
(From left) Mina Iskander, MD; Ahmed Gohar, MD; Tayyaba Haq, MD
The program received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in January and will officially begin training its inaugural class on July 1.
The three-year fellowship will be led by Program Director Ahmed Gohar, MD, a critical care medicine physician at NAMC. Under Dr. Gohar’s leadership, the program is designed to provide rigorous clinical training, focusing on complex lung diseases and the management of critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“Launching this fellowship is a testament to our commitment to academic excellence and high-level clinical care,” said Dr. Gohar. “By training specialists right here in Florence, we are ensuring that our community has access to the most advanced pulmonary and critical care expertise for years to come.”
The fellowship expands the hospital’s existing Graduate Medical Education (GME) department. NAMC has hosted a successful three-year Internal Medicine Residency program since 2020, and a four-year Psychiatric Residency program at North Alabama Shoals Hospital was launched in 2023.
The new program officially begins with two inaugural fellows, both of whom are familiar faces. Mina Iskander, MD, and Tayyaba Haq, MD, both former NAMC IM residents, have been selected to spearhead the program’s first class. Their transition from residency to this specialized fellowship highlights NAMC’s success in retaining top-tier medical talent in the Shoals area and throughout North Alabama.
While the fellowship will start with two physicians, NAMC has a strategic roadmap to scale the program. The fellowship is expected to expand by two additional fellow each year until it reaches a total of six, creating a robust pipeline of specialists dedicated to respiratory health and critical care medicine.
The addition of this program strengthens NAMC’s position as a teaching hospital, fostering an environment where research, education, and patient-centered care intersect.
Media Release/Shane Herrmann/Director of Communications and Marketing/North Alabama Medical Center
