Our mission
Islam’s fundamental values of excellence, service, and intellectual curiosity have motivated thousands of American Muslims to pursue careers as physician. The American Muslim Medical Students Association (AMMSA) is a student led organization welcoming Muslim students, physicians, and leaders to explore the inherent intersection between Islam and medicine. AMMSA’s goal is simple: to empower American Muslim medical students by providing opportunities for excellence in spiritual growth, professional development, and community building.
Our Story
In the summer of 2020, first-year medical students Zachariah Elkordy and Bassel Salka met for coffee in Ann Arbor, MI. While discussing their medical school experiences at Georgetown University and University of Michigan respectively, they discussed an absence of spiritual fulfillment in their professional lives. They noted that the beautiful aspects of their faith like selflessness, humility, and trust in a greater power were not adequately explored within standard medical school curriculums. Discovering that many medical students felt the same way, they decided to start the American Muslim Medical Student Association, an organization focused on bridging the gap between Muslim medical student's spiritual and professional lives. Seeing many peers struggle spiritually, not find professional mentors, and feel isolated in medical school, they focused AMMSA's mission to address these difficulties. By providing a space for students to grow spiritually, develop professionally, and bond as a community, AMMSA hopes to empower the next generation of Muslim physicians to be shining lights within their communities.