Attending patients, hearing about their misery, and dealing with grim faces are not unusual activities for a doctor, but being able to see the bright side of such difficult encounters is not everyone’s cup of tea.
However, Dr Ahmed Kazmi, who calls himself a PBA (Pakistani Born Abroad), seems to be doing a great job navigating the challenges he faces as a doctor and turning them into the laughter therapy that he thinks people desperately need.
"Pakistani patients are my favourite. Once I deal with their medical problems, they politely ask me if I am married, and then tell me about their nieces, daughters and granddaughters who are single"
“I love being a GP, but if you listen to people’s problems on daily basis you get tired, and I strongly believe that every doctor should have a hobby to clear their mind when they are not seeing patients,” Dr Kazmi tells SBS Urdu.
“You can play cricket or do yoga or whatever you feel like doing; for me it’s comedy that comforts me.”
Born in Canada and raised in the UK, Dr Kazmi’s ancestors have roots in Pakistan but he hasn’t lived there for a long time.
However, he loves Pakistan and understands Urdu and Punjabi, thanks to “my parents who spoke the language at home”.
Dr Kazmi works in the UK and Australia as a medical professional but he also loves the stage, a passion that has seen him perform in the US, UK and Australia.
“I got my first break as a comedian during the Perth Fringe Festival,” he shares his journey.
“I had been trying to get some small gigs prior to that, but where I went I got rejected because I didn’t have any experience so they didn’t let me take the stage.”
The subjects that he chooses are easily relatable because his jokes involve the encounters people have with their doctors.
“I make sure I don’t discuss any confidential matter but there are a lot of funny incidents that happen in a doctor’s life that can make people laugh.”
The fact that he is a somewhat desi (a term that is casually used to define people from Pakistani and Indian background living abroad) makes his experiences even more hilarious.
Dr Kazmi’s patients get excited when they realise that he’s a desi.
“Pakistani patients are my favourite,” he begins explaining a funny encounter.
Once they are satisfied with the treatment, they become very kind and insist that I tell them what my favourite food is, but the goodwill ends there as they never come back with food
“Once I deal with their medical problems, they politely ask me if I am married, and then tell me about their nieces, daughters and granddaughters who are single.”
“It does not end there,” he chuckles.
“They also take out their phones and show me the photos of the girl.”
Sharing another funny encounter, Dr Kazmi reflects on hospitality of Pakistani people.
“Once they are satisfied with the treatment, they become very kind and insist that I tell them what my favourite food is, but the goodwill ends there as they never come back with food,” he bursts out laughing.
There are many other incidents that he shares on stage, which has earned him praise from fellow doctors as well.
“After every show there’s at least one doctor member of the audience who comes to me and say I knew I was not the only one who goes through these experience.”
Dr Kazmi is performing at Melbourne Comedy Festival.
To hear more about this exciting ventures play audio.
