Voices: Carl Allamby, MD

Dr. Carl Allamby is an Emergency Medicine Resident Physician at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. He specializes in life saving techniques and the prevention of illness and injury progression. However, this was not always his job. He used to be a business owner and professional automotive technician for 25 years but gave up this career to pursue a lifelong dream. His story of career change has been featured in many newspapers, TV news outlets locally and nationally, appearing on CBS Evening News with Steve Hartman, NPR’s Morning Edition with Scott Simon and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Additionally, other prominent internet mediums such as JAMA, AAMC, Medscape, AARP and many other local and national programs have featured his incredible life journey.  He has been on radio stations in Cleveland, Toronto and Cincinnati to highlight his story and as an advocate for perseverance and progression.  He was also the keynote speaker for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day events at Cleveland Clinic and The Akron Urban League for 2020. Medscape named him as one of the best physicians for 2019 and he consistently receives letters and messages from across the world from people who have been inspired by his story.

In his former career as a business owner and automotive technician, Carl was an ASE Certified Master Technician and Engine Performance Specialist. The two locations of auto repair and used car sales facilities employed many people from the local community and served the local population for 25 years.

Carl began the business at the age of 19, mostly because there were very few jobs and opportunities in the neighborhood where he grew up. (The City of East Cleveland) He was always savvy with mechanics and electronics but attended two years of automotive classes at the local community college at night to enhance his skills and proficiency in auto repair and became a Master Technician in his early twenties. The business continually grew over the years as he hired more employees and serviced more vehicles. After numerous years in business, Carl decided to pursue a formal business degree. His second to last class was a required biology course taught by a moonlighting radiology resident from Cleveland Clinic, Micah Watts, whose love of medicine directly influenced Carl to reconsider his career trajectory. It was during this time that he rediscovered his childhood passion of becoming a doctor and decided to give up a career of a quarter century for the opportunity to further serve humanity as a medical professional.

He went on to obtain two bachelor’s degrees from Cleveland State University and Ursuline College, graduating summa cum laude from both institutions. He is a member of Alpha Sigma Lambda, Phi Theta Kappa and Golden Key Honor Societies. Somehow, Dr. Allamby accomplished all of the aforementioned as a second career while raising a family of four with his wife Kim

As a medical student and graduate from Northeast Ohio Medical University, Dr. Allamby was appointed to the Board of Trustees by Governor John Kasick and was also a member of the Admissions Committee. As part of the Presidential Search Committee, Carl participated in selecting the most recent University President.  Additionally, he was a Community Advisory Board Member for Cleveland State University and continues to mentor many Health Science students. As the President of NEOMED’s local chapter of Student National Medical Association in 2017 and 2018, Carl helped to promote the ongoing legacy of diversity and inclusion of minority professionals in the field of medicine.

As mentioned above, Dr. Allamby traded in his toolbox for a stethoscope to begin a new career as a medical professional. His goal in medicine is not only to decrease mortality and prevent illness, he is also passionate about influencing people from all walks of life to pursue greatness and success by following their dreams and desires. This is especially true for people from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. Dr. Allamby wants people to know that their current situation in life can be improved through education, hard work, perseverance and community connections.

Carl Allamby, MD
Physician at Cleveland Clinic Akron General