Amjad Rass

Born in Syria, Amjad Rass – a physician who lives in Bloomfield Hills and has an internal medicine practice in Ohio – dedicates his life to helping others that stretches beyond his profession. For 13 years, Rass has been a volunteer with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), where he organizes medical missions to help rebuild that country's health care infrastructure.

Rass, who is married with five children, survived the 1982 Hama Massacre when as many as 40,000 people were killed. “I was one of the lucky survivors,” he said.

His dream was to be a physicist, but Rass was denied at the school he applied to in Syria for security reasons.

“A 17-year-old was a threat to our country,” he said. “I decided to go to medical school because I thought medicine would give a wider range of options to leave the country. I came to love medicine. It was my destiny.”

After attending medical school in Damascus, Rass came to the United States in 1991. “The issue for me was more survival and escape, more shelter from the Hama prosecution,” he said. “For many of us, for all youth, we were fearing prosecution or arrest. They don’t have to have a reason to arrest you. I felt that deep. When I went to college and medical school, I was surrounded by informants.”

The situation Rass faced in Syria would lead to a new career path and a new home. “It made me feel like I was living in a country I love, but was not wanted there,” he said. “When I came here, I considered myself a refugee at that time.”

Rass has a passion for his practice. “I love my specialty. Being a doctor is being a human being,” he said. “I love my patients. I sit and talk with them and hear about their families…I have four generations in one family. This is my reward to get to know them and what they face in life beyond the medical part.”

Through the years, his roles in SAMS have included chairman and president. “We are always encouraging everyone to stay connected and involved,” said Rass. “We don’t provide free surgery; we provide doctors to do surgery and to become proficient in that procedure.”

The physician is in charge of medical education for the global medical relief organization based in Washington, DC. “All activities are about training, even activities that involve patient care,” he explained. “Some procedures are done for the first time in Syria, such as those that are minimally invasive.”

In addition to the important volunteer work the organization continues to do, Rass believes Syrians have what it takes to rebuild the country. “We have experience, we have creativity, and we are educated and hardworking,” he said.

Until recently, Rass had not been able to visit the home he has in Syria since 2010.

“I couldn’t go back because I was listed as a terrorist,” said the physician, who now has been able to return since the Assad regime fell on December 8, 2024.

During 13 years of conflict, an estimated half million people lost their lives. “The situation is fragile, but getting better,” said Rass. “I am looking forward to a very good future for young Syrians. I’ve been there twice since December 8th and I’m still celebrating.”

Story: Jeanine Matlow

Photo: Laurie Tennent