Igniting a New Path
After running an auto business for 25 years, Carl Allamby decided to go back to school to become a doctor.
Carl Allamby proves it’s never too late to follow your dreams BY JARED F. SLANINA
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NEOMED16
er days when I would become completely engrossed with everything we covered in science class,” Allamby says. “It reignited my desire to be part of the medical field.” At first he was apprehensive about returning to school, especially for something as ambitious as a degree in medicine. But a welltimed newspaper article sent to him by his mother-in-law about a student named Bill Downing helped eliminate his fears. Downing was already enrolled in the Urban Primary Care program, and he had a background that closely mirrored Allamby’s. Allamby will spend the next four years at NEOMED’s campus in Rootstown after completing the first two years of the program at CSU with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Allamby is interested in going into the primary care field, either in internal or emergency medicine. During his first two years in the partnership, Allamby received valuable hands-on experience by shadowing NEOMED alumna Stephanie L. Hunter, M.D., the assistant residency director of emergency medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. “We need to do something as a society to make sure people have a fair chance at education and social equity,” Allamby says. “I’m extremely proud to be part of the partnership, which is doing just that for people right here in Cleveland.” neomed.edu
WALTER NOVAK
arl Allamby has spent most of his life as a healer. Each day, he would listen carefully as people described their symptoms. Upon diagnosing a problem, he would then work to treat it. If the underlying issue was out of his area of expertise, he would work with a specialist to ensure proper treatment was received. For 25 years, Allamby ran his own business, Advanced Auto Care, which he started at only 19 years old. After a quarter-century of caring for cars, he’s now preparing for a second career where he will instead treat people. Allamby recently began his first year at NEOMED’s College of Medicine as part of the University’s urban primary care track in partnership with Cleveland State University. “I really appreciate how the partnership is based in urban primary care, something I have been passionate about for a long time,” says Allamby. “My education is helping me get to a place where I can touch the lives of others in my community. I will help people who need it the most, which is a huge motivating factor as I continue to work toward my goals.” How Allamby ended up as part of the partnership was anything but typical. Although he developed a passion for the medical sciences in high school, he was forced to forgo college after graduating from high school and instead took a job at an auto parts store to support his newborn son. Shortly afterward, he managed to start his automotive repair business after building a client-base with the customers he met during his day job. While he worked to get his business off the ground, Allamby would work day shifts at the auto parts store, and then work at his repair shop late into the evening. Before too long, life got in the way of Allamby’s plans for continuing his education. He married and became a stepfather to four children, and then his wife gave birth to twins. With such a large family to support, Allamby focused on building his business and raising his children. “My life had been all about work,” Allamby says. “I was just trying to make some money so I could help provide new opportunities for my kids. I take great pride in being a father and everything that comes with it, but I always believed I was capable of doing something that would give back to humanity on a greater scale.” Eventually, Allamby was able to return to school, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2010. However, a general education course called “Birth through Aging,” which he had avoided until his final semester, became the catalyst to seek a career in medicine. The mandatory science course that Allamby had put off for so long awakened something inside of him. “The content was so engaging, it brought me back to my young-