“Since I was five, I have been fascinated by the human body,” said Burhan Butt, who just received the Dean’s Scholar Award and Opportunity Scholarship to begin his medical education at Ross.
Butt is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto where he received an honors degree with distinction in biology.
Discovering His Passion for Medicine
Perhaps, what established his pursuit of medicine was his trip to Pakistan to visit family. At the age of nine, Butt was influenced by his uncles who were physicians. He observed firsthand their knack for treating their patients’ medical conditions while maintaining meaningful connections with them.
“One of my uncles who was a family physician really sparked my interest in medicine as I observed him interacting with patients every day,” said Butt. “Witnessing his ability to understand the human body as well as being able to relate to people with different personalities and experiences initiated a life-long passion for medicine.”
“I want to get a medical degree so that I can use my skills and experience to make healthcare much more accessible to everyone.”
Inspired by His Sister's Success
Now as a young adult, one of Butt’s biggest inspirations to become a physician is his older sister, Ifrah, who is currently completing her last semester at Ross in a clinical clerkship at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Michigan. “Her experiences in clinical settings and her daily schedule confirms I made the right decision going to medical school,” said Butt.
Aspiring to Make a Difference
Butt aspires to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders and hopes to use his language skills to reduce barriers to healthcare – he is fluent in English, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi.
“I want to get a medical degree so that I can use my skills and experience to make healthcare much more accessible to everyone,” said Butt. “I want to treat people for an affordable cost.”
He goes on, “I believe healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.”
