Skip to main content

Learn More About RUSM's COVID-19 Response

Home

Mobile navigation

  • Admissions
    • Admissions Overview
    • How To Apply
    • Admissions Requirements
    • Admissions Assessment
    • Events
    • MCAT
    • Tuition and Fees
    • Scholarships
    • Canadian Applicants
    • HBCU & HSI Partnerships
    • Career Changers
    • Transfer Applicants
    • Med School Readiness
    • Take a Campus Tour
    • Parents Guide
    • PreMed Advisors
  • MD Program
    • MD Program Overview
    • Why RUSM
    • Curriculum
    • Academic Resources & Student Support
    • MD/MPH
    • Faculty and Staff
    • Residency Appointments
  • Student Life
    • Student Life Overview
    • Housing
    • Barbados
    • Campus Services
    • White Coat Ceremony
    • Clubs and Organizations
    • Safety & Security
    • Merchandise Store
  • About
    • About Overview
    • Accreditation and Approvals
    • FAQ
    • Facts and Figures
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Information By State
    • Newsroom
    • RUSM Podcast
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Ross in the Media
    • Virtual Video Tour
    • Mission and History
    • Dean
  • Request Info
  • Apply
    • Start Your Application
    • Continue Your Application
    • Submit Your AMCAS Application
    • Submit Your AACOMAS Application
    • Submit Your TMDSAS Application
  • Apply Now
    • Start Your Application
    • Continue Your Application
    • Submit your AMCAS Application
    • Submit Your AACOMAS Application
    • Submit your TMDSAS Application

Social Media Navigation

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • SnapChat

Utility Navigation

  • Apply Now
  • Request Info

Secondary Mobile Menu

  • Current Students
  • Events & Webinars
  • Information for
    • Alumni
    • Admitted Students

Secondary Navigation

  • Current Students
  • Events & Webinars
  • Information for
    • Alumni
    • Admitted Students
    • Current Students
Search
Cancel Search
Home Home

Main navigation

  • Admissions

    Admissions

    We’re ready when you are. RUSM offers three session starts in January, May, and September to allow you to start your MD journey when it’s convenient for you.

    • Admissions Overview
    • How To Apply
    • Admissions Requirements
    • Admissions Assessment
    • Events
    • MCAT
    • Tuition and Fees
    • Scholarships
    • Canadian Applicants
    • HBCU & HSI Partnerships
    • Career Changers
    • Transfer Applicants
    • Med School Readiness
    • Take a Campus Tour
    • Parents Guide
    • PreMed Advisors
  • MD Program

    MD Program

    We are committed to providing our students with a range of global medical opportunities that will enable them to develop the kinds of life and professional skills that will make them stand out in residency, and beyond.

    • MD Program Overview
    • Why RUSM
    • Curriculum
    • Academic Resources & Student Support
    • MD/MPH
    • Faculty and Staff
    • Residency Appointments
  • Student Life

    Student Life

    We understand your demanding schedule as a medical student and our campus community was designed to meet your needs.

    • Student Life Overview
    • Housing
    • Barbados
    • Campus Services
    • White Coat Ceremony
    • Clubs and Organizations
    • Safety & Security
    • Merchandise Store
  • About

    about

    Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) has been providing students with the foundation they need to pursue successful careers in medicine for over 40 years.

    • About Overview
    • Accreditation and Approvals
    • FAQ
    • Facts and Figures
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Information By State
    • Newsroom
    • RUSM Podcast
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Ross in the Media
    • Virtual Video Tour
    • Mission and History
    • Dean
  • Request Info
  • Apply
    • Start Your Application
    • Continue Your Application
    • Submit Your AMCAS Application
    • Submit Your AACOMAS Application
    • Submit Your TMDSAS Application
  • Apply Now
    • Start Your Application
    • Continue Your Application
    • Submit your AMCAS Application
    • Submit Your AACOMAS Application
    • Submit your TMDSAS Application

Related News

News
ERINE RAYBON-ROJAS, MD
White Coat Ceremony Speaker: Erine Raybon-Rojas, MD

Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) alum Erine Raybon-Rojas, MD, ‘08 was always clear about her personal mission, long before becoming a pulmonary critical care intensivist. During her childhood, Dr.

News
A man smiling
Uzoma Dike, MD Named Student Speaker for RUSM Commencement
While at RUSM, Dr. Dike has demonstrated a passion for learning as well as a commitment to leadership and professional development.
News
headshot of alumni
Dr. Zaid Brifkani “carries mountains” to conquer kidney disease
Transplants offer a second chance for patients

TAGS

BROWSE ARTICLES
Alumni News
Campus News
Care for Caregivers
Chief Resident
Diversity & Inclusion
Faculty
Featured News
Residency Match
Student News
BROWSE ARTICLES
Career Changers
Medical School Tips & Resources
Medical Specialties
ABOUT RUSM

In 2020, 91% of RUSM students passed the initial step of the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) on the first attempt. And in 2021-2022, results show yet another strong year for RUSM with a 95% first-time residency attainment rate thus far. Located on the island of Barbados and with a network of more than 15,000 alumni, RUSM is one of the largest providers of doctors for the U.S. healthcare system. RUSM graduates practice in all 50 states and in Puerto Rico.

Contact Admissions

Share

  • facebook
  • tiktok
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • email

Breadcrumb

  1. About Ross University Schoool of Medicine
  2. News
  3. PM&R Physicians Become Public Health Liaisons

Through Catchy Kid Songs, Two PM&R Physicians Become Public Health Liaisons

Enjoy this engaging story that includes audio clips from the dynamic musical pair
Thu, 10 Dec 2020, by Heather L Hurtado
Bop n Pop

It was the perfect blind date that led to the sweet sounds of toe-tapping, bee-bopping rap tunes that send a clear message to the younger crowd. Wear your mask. Keep your distance. Wash your hands. Two med school graduates from sister institutions found their niche — taking the medical advice given to their adult patients and converting it into snappy tunes with a splash of silly dance moves. 

Meet Drs. Bop ’n Pop — Rashad Ahmed, MD and Yousaf Chowdhry, MD, 2013 graduates of Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) and American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), respectively. Their sweet nature and grounded family demeanor are nearly identical, and their musical chemistry is undeniable. You’d never know that they met through video chat only once before embarking on this harmonious journey. 

“We probably had an album ready before we ever met,” Ahmed laughed. “It just shows how effortless our relationship has been especially with music and medicine. Also, we have similar hobbies in general and very similar backgrounds. We hit it off.” Chowdhry agreed.

Singing on the Highway

Both physicians turn their work commute into studio time. Swapping voice memos all day long — each eager to hear back from the other. Chowdhry will shoot over a thought and Ahmed will hit back with a tune and lyrics, usually within 24 hours. Then they get their boogie on, add in family back-up crew and belt out lyrics in front of separate green screens. Next, Ahmed works his video magic and voila — they’ve just listed a new tune on YouTube. 

Not even a year in, the singing-dancing pair have streamed more than 30 songs and nearly 40 videos, racking up more than 250,000 likes and retweets. They’ve also debuted across the nation’s airwaves — both on radio and TV. Morning hosts clamor for live shows, teachers sing their praises and the medical community stands proud. And they’re just getting started. 

“Nothing beats the feeling of hearing the kids sing our lyrics back to us,” Chowdhry said, especially when the words echo the health and safety necessary during the pandemic. Their songs empower children to take control of COVID-19 — “this invisible monster.”

Music Matched the Times

At the start, their musical lyrics began hyping preventative medicine — teaching important lessons about anti-bullying and healthy eating as well as sharing patient testimonials. And then COVID-19 hit, and their music fell right in line with what was needed to help children get through this scary, unpredictable time.

One of their biggest hits to date is the original Mask Around Me song with more than 600,000 views. And they’ve just released another relevant song video for children following a hybrid school schedule — the Yellow School Bus Mask.

Both doctors have hit several milestones in their careers, and now they strive to do the same musically. With young families at home, time is not abundant, yet they find a way. Supportive wives and an endless volume of positive medical messages help their creativity flow. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

“We’re as busy as you can be,” Chowdhry explained. “We’re two full-time physicians, we’re fathers, we have families” but that didn’t stop him or Ahmed from giving up their dream. And now they want to pay it forward with words of inspiration. “You’re always going to think someone can do it better. But the way to do it best, is to do it the way only you would be able to do it. Nobody can be you, better than you. Find a way to combine everything that makes you, you — your education, hobbies, experiences. Be bold and put yourself out there.” Ahmed also shares his secret for balancing it all.

Don’t Burn Out

Another goal is to inspire fellow physicians to follow their lead — to pause from the intense world of medicine, even if it’s for a few minutes each day. Ahmed started a study-break routine during med school by picking up his guitar for 10 minutes. “I would feel refreshed. It helps work on the different hemisphere of my brain and gives me moments to recover and recuperate so that I’m ready to reabsorb information again.” In retrospect, Chowdhry wished he had learned the importance of keeping outside hobbies sooner in his academic journey.

But now, they are both in sync — taking regular mental breaks as professionals. Which encourages them to happily plow through each workday, in anticipation of their next musical adventure. “It changes the monotony of everything,” Ahmed said.

Coincidentally ‘twinning’ at every stage in life, Ahmed and Chowdhry also share the same career path — serving as physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists by day. And at sunset, they jam out tunes their young families can enjoy. “No matter what phase of life, music is always there.”

Thinking back, the pair is humbled about how they met. As their musical success continues, both doctors provide words of wisdom for aspiring students. Ahmed urges them to cherish island life and stay resilient while Chowdhry gives advice he wished he had followed — “Don’t be so laser focused on what you think you want your future to look like. Be dynamic.”

 

Learn More

Check out Drs. Bop ’n Pop’s Mask Song for Kids album, now streaming with 15 of their hits, their eBooks — Virus and Mask Around Me and their YouTube and Instagram pages. Stay tuned for much more including a flu shot song to debut soon.

Ross University School of Medicine
Apply Now
Ask a Question
Events & Webinars

Campus Address:

Two Mile Hill St. Michael
BB11093
Barbados

Admissions Address:

2300 SW 145th Avenue, Suite 200
Miramar, FL 33027
Phone: 754-707-5547 
Email: Admissions@Rossu.edu

Connect with Ross Medical School

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • SnapChat

RUSM Footer Sub menu

  • Information For
    • Admitted Students
    • Alumni
    • Career Seekers
    • Current Students
  • NAVIGATE
    • About RUSM
    • MD Program
    • Admissions
    • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Student Life
  • News & Events
    • Events & Webinars
    • Blog
    • News & Press
    • Podcast
    • Academic Calendar

Academic Catalog | Student Handbook | Student Consumer Information | Online Cookie Policy | Accessibility Statement

© 2022 Ross University School of Medicine. All rights reserved.

CAAM-HP badge

Ross University School of Medicine is accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP, www.caam-hp.org).

 

CAAM-HP is the legally constituted body established in 2003 under the aegis of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), empowered to determine and prescribe standards and to accredit programs of medical, dental, veterinary and other health professions education on behalf of the contracting parties in CARICOM.

 

Accreditation by CAAM-HP is a rigorous, peer review process which examines all aspects of a medical program. The CAAM-HP board, an independent and autonomous body of professionals, only certifies medical schools which are operating at the highest levels of industry standards.

 

Through this accreditation, the CAAM-HP provides assurance to medical students, graduates, the medical profession, healthcare institutions, and the public that programs leading to qualifications in medicine meet appropriate national and international standards for educational quality, and that the graduates have a sufficiently complete and valid educational experience.

Secondary Footer Navigation

  • Call
  • Chat
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • "Chat Now"