Dr. Akram M. Zaaqoq, MD, MPH

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Get to know Critical Care Specialist Dr. Akram M. Zaaqoq, who serves patients in Washington, D.C.

A skilled critical care specialist, Dr. Zaaqoq is in practice at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He defines his purpose is to "advance patient care while building knowledge and helping a new generation of clinicians to pursue their career dreams".

The doctor’s primary clinical focus is on managing critically ill patients and complex medical cases that require life-saving supportive measures, mainly acute mechanical support devices (ECMO).

As a not-for-profit, 912-bed academic and research center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the largest and busiest hospital in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan region. The hospital serves as a referral center for patients with the most complex conditions as well as a safety-net provider for residents of our immediate community. With 400,000 annual patient visits, it is renowned for handling the region’s most challenging cases in such areas as trauma, burn, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and neurosurgery.

Back in 2001, Dr. Zaaqoq graduated with his medical degree from the Ain-Shams Medical School in Egypt. After relocating to the United States, he completed his residency at the Northside Medical Center in 2011. He finished his critical care medicine and research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in 2013, where he still holds an adjunct research position in the Department of Surgery.

Subsequent to his education, the doctor attained board certification in critical care medicine and internal medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world.

A keen researcher, Dr. Zaaqoq is interested in clinical research related to ECMO management, short-term and long-term outcomes. He is focusing on bridging the gap between basic science and clinical research in the field of inflammation. He worked on multiple research projects related to sepsis, trauma, and hemorrhagic shock, mainly focusing on understanding the complex inflammatory process, utilizing mathematical modeling techniques for prediction and possible interventions.

Intensive care medicine, also called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. Critical care specialists provide around-the-clock care in highly-stressful situations within intensive care units (ICUs) in hospitals or trauma centers to the most seriously injured or ill patients.

On a more personal note, he is fluent in both English and Arabic.

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