Volunteer Spotlight: Dr. Farooq and Hanna Lateef
In the month of November, LIG Global is expressing gratitude for our father-daughter duo of volunteers: Farooq and Hanna Lateef! These two have fostered a love for medicine and service both within their home and across the globe!
Volunteer Spotlight: Dr. Farooq and Hanna Lateef
In the month of November, LIG Global is expressing gratitude for our father-daughter duo of volunteers: Farooq and Hanna Lateef! These two have fostered a love for medicine and service both within their home and across the globe!
Dr. Farooq Lateef is a board certified dermatologist located in Orlando, Florida that has been practicing medicine for over 20 years. A New Jersey native, Dr. Lateef attended Rutgers University and Cornell University for undergrad before attending Mt. Sinai’s school of medicine and continuing his time in New York City during his residency. After completing residency, he moved to Florida, where he remains as a husband, father of 3, and grandfather of 1 who he loves to spend time with. Hanna Lateef is a second-year medical student at Florida State University interested in pursuing a career in surgery, and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida. Outside of their shared interest in medicine, the two are passionate about music and the arts; Farooq plays the guitar and Hanna plays the ukulele. The father-daughter duo also keep active by partaking in activities such as bouldering, kayaking, and hiking.
Farooq got involved with LIG after hearing his well-respected colleagues reflecting on their experiences on trips with LIG. Upon hearing his colleagues’ appreciation for LIG, Farooq knew he wanted to experience all that they had said first-hand! With this, Farooq began traveling with LIG as a volunteer to Dajabón, Dominican Republic; each time, he brought one of his 3 children with him. At the time of her first trip with LIG, Hanna was still an undergraduate student at the University of Florida on the pre-health track, still truly exploring her passions related to medicine. Hanna explained how fortunate she feels to have volunteered with LIG at this point in her life, as she was able to explore and interact with medicine up close, a rarity for individuals in her position at that time.
Upon reflecting on their experiences working with LIG in the Dominican Republic, Farooq and Hanna shared how it has deeply impacted their lives in a positive way.
“I love the ability to practice pure medicine, helping those without any other recourse,” remarks Farooq, “Their uncomplaining patience in difficult circumstances was a tonic to those of us with so much ease in our lives.”
In a similar manner, Hanna explained the impact LIG has had on her:
"LIG fosters intuitive thinking and teamwork…These skills have served me well in my medical education thus far, as FSU prepares its medical students to work in rural areas with limited resources. My experiences with this team have inspired me to participate in an ongoing global health research project as a medical student, where I hope to positively impact communities at home and abroad.”
While we are ecstatic to know how Farooq and Hanna’s experiences have been rewarding for them, we cannot even begin to describe how their diligence and compassion has improved the quality of life for the various patients they interacted with in the Dominican Republic. By providing high quality medical care in this underserved region as well as providing a smiling face and words of support, Farooq and Hanna have helped countless families feel better. We thank Farooq and Hanna for their passion to serving others as LIG Global volunteers and look forward to welcoming them on a trip in the near future!
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