Where are they now? Emeritus faculty member continues to help

Bashir A. Chaudhary, MD, has worked in the Augusta area for almost 50 years.

At the Medical College of Georgia and Augusta University, he wore many hats, but the constant has been his dedication to educating students, both in the classroom and during clinical rotations at his Sleep Institute of Augusta office.

“My personal desire is that if I’m teaching something, I want to know that my student understands what I’m trying to teach,” said Chaudhary, an emeritus faculty member at the College of Allied Health Sciences and a pulmonologist. “My desire is that whatever I’m saying, the student must know that as well so I will try my best, whichever way I can, to make sure that I am understood on whatever the subject is so the student knows what we are talking about.

“When you see a smile on a student’s face when they understand something, that is really priceless,” he added. “There are complicated areas in respiratory therapy, but, when a student learns that for the first time, to me, is one of the biggest rewards I can get.”

Becoming a Jaguar for life

Chaudhary graduated from King Edward Medical College. After his internship and residency in New York and fellowship in Kentucky, he became an assistant professor of medicine in the Pulmonary Diseases section of the Department of Medicine at MCG.

The move to Augusta was his one and only as he settled into the area and fell in love with it.

He has served as a professor, medical director and clinical professor in the Respiratory Therapy Program before then-Dean Shelley C. Mishoe, PhD, appointed him assistant dean of clinical affairs.

Mishoe, who worked at MCG from 1977 until she retired in 2011, was a tenured professor who held positions of department chair, associate dean, dean and associate provost during her time at AU.

She was an associate professor when she first met Chaudhary. He was one of the clinical faculty who accepted respiratory therapy students to accompany him on his pulmonary rounds, work in the pulmonary ICU and participate in bronchoscopies. She said her highest regard for him is why she approached him years later to ask whether he would consider being the program’s medical director.

“My first impressions of Dr. Chaudhary were that he was attentive to his patients, kind to students, patient with his colleagues and very caring to everyone,” Mishoe said. “I observed him to have the greatest respect for others. I have known him for many years and have never heard him say a harsh word about anyone but to always look at the positive side of any situation or problem.”

The respect and comfort he experienced allowed him to settle in and focus on educating students and preparing them for their chosen profession. He received multiple awards in the School of Medicine in teaching, patient care, research and institutional service. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award, the school’s highest award.

“MCG was very good to me. I was very fortunate to work with wonderful people from my immediate bosses, Dr. William Speir, to the school and administrators,” Chaudhary said. “I loved what I did. I was involved in research, patient care, teaching – everything. My problem was everything I was doing, I loved, and at times I was so busy, but I was happy.”

The second reason he never explored leaving Augusta was because his wife, Tesneem Kauser Chaudhary, MD, was finishing up at MCG and was offered a faculty position, which she held for several years before opening a private practice. Chaudhary noted it takes time to establish yourself.

“Because of that, my wife did not want to move from Augusta, and we decided that this is the place we are going to be.”

Chaudhary said his working relationship with Speir and how much he was looked after made the decision easier. He recalled the time Speir walked into his office to tell him he had been promoted from assistant to associate professor.

“I said, ‘I have been promoted? Didn’t I have to apply for that?’ He said, ‘I did for you,’” Chaudhary said. “I considered him really like my brother, and he was tremendously nice to me.”

“These students are going to take care of us tomorrow, and the better trained they are, the better it is going to be for everybody. The students, to me, really are the most important thing. My desire is whatever I can teach, the students deserve to know it.”

Bashir Chaudhary, MD

Admiration of colleagues

Andrew Mazzoli worked in AU’s College of Allied Health Sciences for 12 years before retiring in 2020. He briefly returned as special assistant to the dean but remembers meeting Chaudhary during his initial interview and how polite and cordial he was.

Mazzoli also noted how gracious Chaudhary was with his time for others and how selfless he was.

“He always wants to do the best he can for people; he always wanted to be as helpful as possible to the students,” Mazzoli said. “When I took over as program director, he was very much a reassuring presence. I always knew that if I needed to go to him for advice, he would make himself available.”

Mazzoli said Chaudhary’s spoken and unspoken lessons always stuck with him, especially his ability to put people at ease during difficult conversations, something Mazzoli admitted he struggled with.

“It’s hard to be gracious and at the same time advisory. That was one of the things I tried desperately to learn,” Mazzoli said. “It’s easy to give advice, good or bad, or to let students know what they should or shouldn’t be doing something. It’s another thing to have that kind of countenance that’s always welcoming and inviting.”

Embracing the role of educator

One characteristic that leaves both Mishoe and Mazzoli in awe is Chaudhary’s outpouring of generosity. Whenever he received money as part of an award, he would give it back to purchase books or materials needed for a class.

“I remember feeling that here is a physician who actually cares about the health and well-being of his patients,” she said. “I observed his patience with students when they did not prepare or could not answer questions. I remember thinking, ‘Here is a teacher who uses compassion and kindness to help students realize their true potential.’”

Mazzoli said it’s rare for someone of Chaudhary’s background to be willing to work with first-year students who are unsure of themselves and fearful of unpleasant consequences if they make a mistake.

“The students are looking for guidance, and he shapes the instruction to their early learning development, and it’s huge,” Mazzoli said. “The most important clinical instruction is the foundational experience, and one of the pieces that RTs have to learn about is to communicate with physicians. He is the exemplar for having the students feel relaxed and comfortable with talking to somebody with his pedigree.”

Chaudhary has never stopped teaching. He cherishes every opportunity to interact with students, whether in clinical rotations or in the classroom, making sure they are as prepared as possible for full-time work to help grow the field.

“These students are going to take care of us tomorrow, and the better trained they are, the better it is going to be for everybody,” Chaudhary said. “The students, to me, really are the most important thing. My desire is whatever I can teach, the students deserve to know it. I feel happy when they learn something, and the feeling I get when another person knows what I want them to know is priceless to me.”

Mishoe applauds Chaudhary’s decades of dedication, not only to AU but to the medical community as a respected pulmonologist, a gifted teacher and an accomplished researcher. He is one of Georgia’s first sleep medicine physicians, but, to her, his biggest attribute is continuing to be a close friend.

Lester Pretlow, PhD, dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences, is grateful to Chaudhary for his dedication to his craft.

“Dr. Chaudhary’s unwavering dedication to education, even in retirement, exemplifies his profound commitment to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals,” Pretlow said. “By welcoming students into his clinic, he not only enriches their learning experience but also fosters invaluable opportunities for faculty to engage in hands-on clinical teaching. His generosity and passion for giving back continue to inspire and elevate the CAHS.”

Learn more information about the Dr. Bashir A. Chaudhary Award, which is available for respiratory therapy students.