History

AIMS history starts with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS). In 1999, Dr. Alsheikh (SAMS past president and a founding member) finished his medical training in Electrophysiology at Indiana University. That was the year that he and a dozen of Syrian American physicians of different specialties started going back to Syria on an annual basis for 1 to 2 weeks at a time, trying to give back and to contribute to their native country’s healthcare. The group grew very fast and SAMS was born.

Within the years, more colleagues joined their efforts and shared their passion to make a difference in the lives of those in need in Syria. Today, SAMS offers to its members 20 to 25 hours of continuing medical education (CME) each year. Free services are provided to countless number of patients and SAMS members continue to succeed in transferring new medical skills and in improving on other existing ones through effective collaboration with their local colleagues. SAMS activities spans multiple Syrian cities and many charity and public hospitals every year.

SAMS also helped write Syria’s new CME policies and is in the process of helping write Quality Assurance and credentialing policies to be adopted locally as well.

In 2002, Dr. Alsheikh started “Bradyarrhythmia and Pacing Course” as part of the annual scientific conference. This course grew from a single-day course to a 4-day course that also covered ICDs and tachyarrhythmia, live implant cases, didactic and hands-on sessions, and simulators. This annual course enabled its participants to step up with their limited knowledge and skill to one that enabled them to independently and successfully implant devices. Other SAMS members had same rewarding experiences in different medical specialties.

In 2004, Dr. Alsheikh and SAMS received American College of Cardiology (ACC), Florida Chapter, Henry McIntosh Humanitarian Service Award recognizing their “exemplary international efforts improving healthcare in Syria”. In 2006, Dr. Alsheikh was awarded the prestigious ACC International Service Award acknowledging his and SAMS “outstanding contributions to enhancing cardiovascular care and education throughout the world”

Through SAMS collective experience and his personal one, Dr. Alsheikh was inspired to dream of forming AIMS as an umbrella organization under which IMGs can serve their countries of origin in a fashion similar to that of SAMS.

AIMS is formed on the realization that IMGs global responsibility remains too big to be ignored and their potential remains too powerful to be contained.

This is the history behind a dream. Let’s work together to make the dream, history…