Dr. Abdullah Nassief

I have yet to write in this guest book. My uncle Abdullah was a great man. He was an excellent teacher, a great doctor, and an all around great human being. Not many people know this but, he is the reason I was interested in medicine in the first place. He inspired me to help others and to be great at it. I have become a combat medic for the US army and am starting to learn the ways of medicine.
My goal now is to become a cardiac surgeon because the heart fascinates me and its something...

Dr Nassief came to South Bend IN to speak with fellow physicians in a pharmacy sponsored program. I was in the audience and later asked him about my son who, at 41, had recently suffered a stroke affecting his vision. Dr. Nassief was very generous with his time, expertise, and sympathy, and when he returned to South Bend, he sought me out to ask how my son was doing. I think very few others in his position would have done that, and I am very thankful to have come to know him in my...

It is with profound sadness that I heard about the premature loss of Dr. Nassief. I had the privilege to train with Dr. Nassief during my residency. He was an extremely brilliant neurologist with contagious enthusiasm for his work, an outstanding teacher, a compassionate physician and a man of high principle. Dr. Nassief, may you rest in peace.

Dr. Nassief was my program director as a resident, and an idol for me as a budding physician. His skills as a physician are legendary. He was able to diagnose the cause of a patient's stroke (polycythemia) from a head CT even when the radiologists had missed it. He could pinpoint the location of a stroke with amazing accuracy from a medical student's report. Over and over again, I was inspired to learn and practice my skills to be able to do what he did.

The best lesson that he...

Dr. Nassief was the most compassionate and brilliant physician I have ever known. He is the first physician who really listened to me and was able to make a diagnosis...this was after I had already been to 7 medical facilities (some renouned). Dr. Nassief has made such a positive impact on so many people's lives. His unexpected death is certainly a great loss for his patients, but also for the entire community.
I wish Sherri and the boys better days ahead, as I know right now it must...

Dr Nassief was my friend as well as my neurologist. He took time to explain my condition and even showed my daughter and I the MRI that revealed narrowing of an artery that was restricting my left vision due to lowered oxygen supply. He then said "since you are an engineer you can visualize this as a hydraulic flow problem with a need for increased volume, pressure, and oxygen content to allow your brain to heal and preserve your eyesight". He ordered a combination of medications and...

Below is a letter my co-chief Dr. Diego Torres-Russotto and I wrote to nominate Dr. Nassief for the Distinguished Educator Award. It was our honor and privilege to nominate him. I think the letter helps capture why Dr. Nassief was so impactful in our lives and why he will be dearly missed.
-----------------------------------------

November 1, 2007

Re: Nomination for Distinguished Educator Award

Dear Executive Committee of the Faculty Council (ECFC):