Maksat Idris, M.D. ’25, Carries the Torch of Medicine Across Generations and Borders
From Humble Beginnings to a Lifelong Mission of Healing and Hope
Maksat Idris, M.D. ’25, is headed to an internal medicine residency at the Cleveland Clinic—a milestone built on generations of resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering determination. His journey is not only a personal achievement but also a reflection of his family’s enduring pursuit of education, healing, and service across borders and generations.
Born where his parents met, in present-day Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Dr. Idris arrived in the United States in November 2001 at the age of six, accompanied by his father and three older sisters. His mother, who became a vendor in the States, arrived three years earlier to establish roots in a new country, while political unrest was unfolding at home.
“My mom went from being a head physician at a hospital to starting over in a new country,” said Dr. Idris. “Whatever money she had, she sent back to us.”
Dr. Idris’ start in medicine was influenced by his parents who met in medical school in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. His father, an anesthesiologist in the Soviet Union, came from humble beginnings. He was the youngest and only surviving child out of 16—many of whom died from natural causes and illnesses—and grew up farming and drawing water from a well from a town without plumbing. His mother, a cardiologist at the time, lived in the city and had the support of her mother, who was one of the first pharmacists in the country at the end of the Russian Empire during the “bleakest time of the country’s history.”
Dr. Idris picked up the baton and continued the family’s legacy in medicine. “I’ve always wanted to go into medicine to help people, but it was also about something more personal, wanting to make my parents proud and follow in their footsteps as well,” he said. “I’ve never had other career aspirations besides medicine.”
Witnessing his parents raise him and his siblings and achieving their goals has been a source of motivation during Dr. Idris’ most challenging moments during medical school. His mother learned English, completed her M.D. degree in the U.S., and became a family medicine physician at the age of 45. His father learned English as well, becoming an acupuncturist and earning a Ph.D. in the field.
With plans to specialize in cardiology, inspired not only by his mother’s background in the field but also by his fascination with physiology and the meaningful connections he builds with patients, Dr. Idris is committed to carrying forward a legacy of healing, service, and dedication to improving the lives of others through medicine.
