Zahra Khaled, MD

“She looks like a cardiologist who… grew up in CCUs shadowing her mother to work in Pakistan, and uprooted herself to train as a Cardiologist here who can give back to her country to counter gender disparities in healthcare where WIC are few and female patients prefer female doctors for all aspects of cardiac care.”

“I would not be where I am today without the added help of WIC starting with my mother who inspired me as a child as one of the very few WIC in Pakistan, to the amazing women at Beaumont Health, MI and now at MetroHealth, OH. I have been equally helped by my male mentors in Cardiology throughout my medical career as a version of ‘HeForShe’ who have encouraged me in research, electives and networking. My dedication and stubbornness to pursue Cardiology has been strengthened throughout, knowing I have a group of cheer leaders who inspire and direct me, including the times when I was brusquely told ‘Cardiology is not for women’, ‘Cardiology is tough and demanding… so not for women’, to the invisible cues where I was the only female interviewee for fellowship or when I was abruptly told ‘there is not place for female fellows here’. I know there are several aspiring female Cardiologists who have enough drive but are discouraged. If you are passionate, driven and hardworking then I want to make sure you get where you want to be in this spectacular and rewarding field!”

I graduated from the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan (2015) and completed my residency training in Internal Medicine (2020) at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, USA where I also completed the Stanford Residents as Teachers program in 2018. I am currently training as a fellow in Cardiovascular Medicine (2020 – 2023) at the MetroHealth Medical Center/Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. I have work experience in multiple adult and pediatric cardiovascular settings in private and state hospitals in Pakistan and the USA, and my primary interests are in medical education, mentorship, Electrophysiology and Structural Heart Disease.