Dr. Yasir M. Akmal

Dr. Yasir M. Akmal, MBBCh​, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Akmal was a General and Oncologic Surgeon at Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, California. He served as the Associate Program Director of the General Surgery Residency, helped pioneer regional robotic colorectal surgery and launched the Robotic Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Program. He was also awarded the Residency Teaching Award and the Departmental Merit Award.

His areas of expertise include minimally invasive and robotic surgery, complex upper and lower gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery for benign and malignant disease, colorectal cancer, soft tissue tumors, breast, thyroid and parathyroid surgery and surgery for peritoneal malignancies with intraoperative administration of chemotherapy.

Dr. Akmal pursued his bachelor's degree in Exercise Science at the University of Southern California and received his medical degree from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He completed an internship in Surgery at the University of Southern California and completed his General Surgical training at Geisinger Medical Center, Pennsylvania. He then went on to complete a fellowship in Surgical Oncology at City of Hope National Medical Center, California.

Dr. Akmal resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and three children. He is an avid sportsman and video-gamer.

PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY

1998 - 2003: TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, DUBLIN, IRELAND. Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBCh)

RESIDENCY

2004 - 2009: GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER, DANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, US. Categorical Resident, Department of Surgery

FELLOWSHIP

2009 - 2011: CITY OF HOPE MEDICAL CENTER, MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA, US. Fellow, Surgical Oncology, Department of General Oncology Surgery

WORK EXPERIENCE

• 2012 - 2014: KAISER PERMANENTE LOS ANGELES MEDICAL CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, US. Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency
• 2011 - 2014: KAISER PERMANENTE LOS ANGELES MEDICAL CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, US. Surgical Oncologist
• 1996 - 2002: LONG BEACH MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, US. Research Assistant

Achievements & Career Highlights

• Authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented at multiple surgical society meetings
• Involved with clinical studies and oversaw surgical clinical trials while at Kaiser Permanente
• Member of American College of Surgeons
• Member of Society of Surgical Oncology
• Member of American Society of Clinical Oncology
• John Winkley Teaching Award, Kaiser Permanente, 2012 to 2014
• Kaiser Permanente Merit Award, 2012
• American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Foundation Merit Award, 2010
• Service Hero Award, Geisinger Medical Center, 2008
• Surgery Intern of Year, Geisinger Medical Center, 2004 to 2005