Cleveland mechanic's love of medicine inspires him to become a doctor at 47

Carl Allamby went from diagnosing cars to people, making a career switch that he never thought was possible.

Allamby, a 47-year-old married father of four, just graduated from medical school, after spending several decades running his own auto repair business. At 40, he decided it would be beneficial to earn his business degree, but in order to graduate, Allamby had to take a biology class. His teacher, Dr. Micah Watts, "just lit up when he walked into the room," Allamby told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "After the first hour of class, I was like, 'This is what I want to do. I have to go into medicine.' It was like a light switched on."

He thought about becoming a nurse or physician's assistant, but two doctors he befriended at the gym told him to consider medical school. After earning his business degree, he started tackling his science requirements, and ultimately earned degrees from Cleveland State University and the Northeast Ohio Medical University, impressing his professors along the way. He secured a three-year residency at the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital in the emergency medicine department, and is known for his expert people skills, developed during his years as a business owner, and caring bedside manner.

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Allamby said he didn't grow up knowing any black male doctors, and there remains a shortage. He hopes that he can inspire young people to enter the field, and always tells junior and high school students "if you are interested in medicine, reach out to me, because I will help you as much as I can."