Fatima Zahara Syed

Fatima Z. Syed, MD, MSc, FACP is an internist at Duke in the Division of General Internal Medicine and an Associate Professor of Medicine.  She serves as Director for the Primary Leadership Track (PCLT) as well as the Leadership and Educational Development (LEAD) curriculum at the School of Medicine. 

She transitioned into medicine through social policy, having an MSc in Comparative Social Policy from University of Oxford before attending Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.  Dr. Syed completed her training at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Dr. Syed's clinical interests include primary care, weight management, diabetes and metabolic health.  Along with her leadership responsibilities at the school of medicine, she is also faculty for the Cultural Determinants of Health Disparities curriculum, coaches students through LEAD and has provided some talks for the clinical medicine sessions for first year medical students.  She also works closely with residents and medical students in her clinical roles.  She serves as Vice Chief for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Division of General Internal Medicine.

She is involved with the American College of Physicians and serves as editor of the Annals Fresh Look blog.  She is an editor for the Curbsiders podcast.