ACGME-I Honoring Excellence: Q and A with Sayed Karar Ali, MD, FACP, FRCP-Edin
This interview is one in a series of interviews with recipients of the 2026 ACGME International Awards. The awardees join an outstanding group of current and previous honorees whose work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME) around the world represent the best in the field. They will be honored at the 2026 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place 19-21 February 2026, in San Diego, California, US.
2026 ACGME International Physician Educator Awardee Sayed Karar Ali, MD, FACP, FRCP-Edin is professor and section head of internal medicine at The Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. ACGME-I spoke with Dr. Ali about his career and what receiving this award means to him.
ACGME-I: How did you become involved in medicine, and in academic medicine specifically?
Dr. Ali: I was drawn to medicine through the intersection of science and service. During medical school, I became fascinated by unanswered clinical questions, and research provided a way to explore them. Mentors encouraged me to pursue scholarly work, and I found that I thrived in environments where clinical problems inspired research, and research findings fed back into patient care.
Academic medicine became the ideal path because it allows me to practice clinically, while also advancing knowledge and training future physicians via evidence-based medicine. It is my way to give back to the new, younger brighter generation.
ACGME-I: What does this award mean to you?
Dr. Ali: Receiving the International Physician Educator Award is deeply meaningful to me because it affirms the dedication, compassion, and commitment to excellence that I strive to bring not only to my patients, but also to the medical trainees I work with every day. It reflects the relationships I build with learners, the teamwork and collaboration that strengthen our training environment, and my commitment to continuous growth—both personally and within our GME programs.
This recognition reinforces my passion for academic medicine and motivates me to keep advancing GME through high-quality teaching, thoughtful mentorship, and ongoing efforts to improve residency training. It reminds me that the work we do in GME truly matters and has a lasting impact on the future of patient care.
ACGME-I: As this award reflects the contributions you’ve made to GME in Kenya, what would you consider to be the most important of your contributions?
Dr. Ali: The most important contribution I’ve made to GME in Kenya has been leading and supporting the successful accreditation of all residency programs at AKU, starting with the internal medicine residency program. This work has had a lasting impact by ensuring that our programs meet rigorous, internationally aligned standards that strengthen the education, supervision, and overall learning environment for our residents.
Achieving accreditation required close collaboration with faculty members, curriculum development, quality improvement, and institution-wide efforts—all of which ultimately enhance the quality of care delivered to patients across Kenya and the region.
I’m proud that this contribution not only elevates our programs today but also builds a stronger foundation for future generations of clinicians and educators.
ACGME-I: In your view, how has the overall strengthening of GME, especially through international accreditation, benefited Kenya’s medical education and health care systems?
Dr. Ali: The overall strengthening of GME in Kenya—particularly through achieving international accreditation—has had a transformative impact on both medical education and the broader health care system. Accreditation has elevated the quality and consistency of residency training, ensuring that programs follow clear standards for curriculum, supervision, assessment, and patient safety.
This has translated into a new generation of physicians who are better prepared, more confident, and equipped with globally benchmarked skills. In turn, the health care system benefits from improved clinical outcomes, stronger clinical leadership, and a more robust pipeline of specialists who can address Kenya’s evolving health needs.
Ultimately, accreditation has not only enhanced training but has also contributed to a culture of accountability, continuous quality improvement, and excellence across institutions.
ACGME-I: Having played a key role in the evolution of GME in Kenya, what would you like to see happen in Kenya’s GME environment in the future?
Dr. Ali: I hope to see continued strengthening and expansion of our training ecosystem in the years ahead. I would like to see even more programs achieve and sustain international accreditation, deeper investment in faculty development, and greater emphasis on competency-based training that supports residents in reaching their full potential.
I also envision stronger collaborations between institutions across Kenya and the region, improved access to educational resources and simulation training, and a more structured pipeline that supports trainees from medical school through fellowship.
Ultimately, my hope is that Kenya’s GME environment continues to grow into a resilient, innovative, and learner-centered system that consistently produces highly skilled physicians who can meet the evolving health needs of the country and the region.