PURSUiNG MEdicAl cAREERS AFtER SERviNG thEiR cOUNtRy

Becoming a U.S. CitizenWael Khamas, DVM, PhD, MS, Professor for the College of Veterinary Medicine, third from left,with his son, Ashraf, far left, Ehab, his wife Afaf, to his right, daughter Halla and son Ebaa.(Courtesy of Scott Land Photography)Western University of Health Sciences College ofVeterinary Medicine Professor Wael Khamas’story of attaining U.S. citizenship begins withhis four children.“I always think of myself like a mother cat whocares for her kittens,” he said. “If she sees thatthere is danger, she moves them. She picks themup by the skin of their neck and moves them toanother place.”This parental drive took him from Iraq to Jordanto the United States, all with the safety andprosperity of his children in mind.Khamas, BVM&S, MS, PhD, earned his Bachelorof Veterinary Medicine & Surgery degree fromthe University of Baghdad in 1973. He receiveda scholarship from Iraq’s Ministry of HigherEducation to earn his master’s and doctoratedegrees in veterinary anatomy from Iowa StateUniversity.He returned home to Baghdad because of hissense of duty. Iraq’s government paid for hishigher education, and he showed his gratitudeby teaching at the University of Baghdad from1984 to 1993, earning the rank of professor.But the political and military turmoil aroundhim forced him to change course. He didn’t seea future for his children in Iraq, so he took a jobat Jordan University of Science and Technologyin 1994 and worked there for nine years.“I thought when I returned to Iraq I could makesome changes, I could make some difference,”Khamas said. “Unfortunately, I was not able toinfluence people not to go to war, not to fight,not to have a problem with neighbors. Iinfluenced the people around me, but thecountry was going from one war to another toanother.”He then joined the College of VeterinaryMedicine at Purdue University as a FulbrightScholar in 2003. He was earning less than hemade in Jordan and had to spend from hissavings, but the opportunity to move his familyto the U.S. was worth the temporary sacrifice.“I didn’t mind, provided I know my childrenwill get a better education,” Khamas said.“They will live peacefully in this beautifulcountry.”After he took a job at WesternU in 2005,Khamas received assistance from former and8 Western University of Health Sciences