For Yasir Jawaid, life has been anything but ordinary. With a family and career that’s taken him across the world and into diverse environments, he’s experienced a wide range of cultures and opportunities. Throughout his journey, he’s held fast to values like persistence, adaptability, and resilience—qualities that shape his approach to both life and work.
Every place he’s lived has brought its own unique challenges and opportunities, influencing how he views medicine and leadership. These experiences have been instrumental in his personal and professional growth, helping him navigate the complex realities of his work today.
Moving Across Continents and Into Medicine
Born in Houston, Texas, Jawaid moved to Pakistan at an early age, spending his formative years in a small town in the desert region of Sind. Despite the remote environment, he formed lasting friendships with people he considers family.
His family’s frequent relocations within Pakistan eventually brought them to Karachi, a vibrant city that made a lasting impression on him. Karachi’s high energy became a defining part of his life, and he reflects fondly on the impact it had on him not only in his youth, but today.
After completing his early education in Pakistan, Jawaid returned to the United States, starting medical graduate training in West Virginia. The Appalachian region’s peaceful natural beauty was captivating, and much different from the busy streets of Karachi and the quiet desert of Sind. It was the perfect place for him to focus on his medical graduate training, laying the groundwork for the rest of his career.
From West Virginia, Jawaid moved to New York City to start his fellowship. The city’s fast pace and high energy felt familiar, reminding him of Karachi. He embraced all that the city offered, broadening his medical knowledge and expanding his personal mindset.
After that, Jawaid moved to Washington D.C., where he met an even more diverse group of people working in fields like government, politics, and medicine. These moves taught him how to collaborate with people from all walks of life, further developing his leadership skills and outlook on life.
When the Going Gets Tough
For Yasir Jawaid, persistence is the cornerstone of his success and what he holds onto when things get tough. He lives by Calvin Coolidge’s famous words: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.” In his mind, persistence is what leads to success, even more so than talent, education, or genius. When faced with a challenge, it’s persistence that keeps him going.
But Jawaid makes a clear distinction between persistence and stubbornness. Persistence is about flexibility and problem-solving, knowing when to adjust course while still moving forward. Stubbornness, however, is sticking to a single path even when it’s clearly not working. Jawaid’s ability to be persistent while staying adaptable has defined his approach to leadership, particularly in the ICU, where the stakes are high and quick thinking is essential to properly caring for patients.
Because decisions often need to be made quickly in his line of work, he’s developed a process for handling these high-pressure situations with greater ease. Using his methodical approach, he starts by addressing urgent issues, gathering all the data available to him, and then carefully looking over and analyzing the information before making a final decision. Instead of allowing himself to be rushed, Jawaid takes the time he needs to ensure the right decision is being made—not the first one that pops into his head.
He notes that failing to follow these steps often leads to mistakes, while also pointing out that it’s not about avoiding the problem that needs to be solved, but buying time to work in the patient’s best interests.
The Role of Teamwork in Medicine
Relationships have always been central to Jawaid’s life and work. Whether it’s the close friendships he made in Karachi or the strong bond he shares with his family, community is important to him.
Jawaid is a firm believer in the power of teamwork, especially when it comes to the medical field, which he refers to as a “team sport.” Critical care in particular relies on the skills and knowledge of every member of the team, each of whom has a unique perspective to offer. He understands the value that each person brings and believes that the best patient outcomes happen when everyone is working as a unit. Over the years, he’s built strong relationships with his colleagues, many of which have turned into lasting friendships.
Mentorship has also played a big part in Jawaid’s career. He believes that choosing the right mentor is crucial for growth, but recognizes that it requires careful thought as well. For him, a mentor isn’t just someone with experience, but someone who can model how to handle challenges and mistakes and who works well with others. He stresses the importance of quietly observing how potential mentors present themselves, and then speaking with them to see if they’d be the right fit.
Reaching Goals While Overcoming Obstacles
Jawaid’s commitment to growth goes beyond his past experiences. He’s currently working toward board certifications in ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and Echocardiography, two areas where he’s already gathered extensive hands-on experience. For him, these certifications are about solidifying his expertise.
Still, balancing multiple goals and responsibilities isn’t always easy, and Jawaid admits that he tends to take on a lot at once, which can be overwhelming. To stay organized, he relies on easy tools, like his phone calendar, to manage his schedule and stay on track.
When it comes to challenges at work, Jawaid takes a thoughtful, practical approach. For personal conflicts, he believes in having open, direct conversations to clear things up. But for bigger issues, especially ones that could escalate, he’s not afraid to bring in senior leadership when necessary. His calm, balanced way of handling difficult situations has earned him strong professional relationships and helped create a positive work environment.
Guided by Values
Throughout his career, Jawaid has embodied the qualities he believes are essential to effective leadership—vision, decisiveness, communication, and resilience. As a leader himself, Jawaid motivates others by helping them set achievable goals, encouraging them to reach them, and leading by example. He also makes it a point to recognize others’ growth by celebrating important achievements with them.
Jawaid is the type of person who steps in to cover shifts at the last minute so that his colleagues can handle personal emergencies. His empathy, integrity, and adaptability have earned him respect not just from his peers, but from mentors and leaders as well.
Jawaid’s focus on people is clear even outside of work, where he enjoys spending quality time with his family. He’s a foodie who loves exploring different eateries alongside the people he values most—allowing him to relax and recharge after long days spent caring for others at the hospital.
As he moves forward, Yasir Jawaid is focused on continual growth, both personally and professionally. Whether he’s working toward a new certification or stepping up to support a colleague, he’s always striving to better himself, strengthen relationships, and leave a positive mark. His journey, which spans multiple countries and cultures, reflects his determination, resilience, and passion for both medicine and life itself.
