Carl Allamby

Dr. Carl Allamby is an inspiring example of perseverance and transformation, having transitioned from a successful 25-year career as an auto mechanic and business owner to becoming an emergency medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic.

Born and raised in East Cleveland, Ohio, Allamby grew up in a low-income neighborhood where financial constraints and limited access to educational resources made his childhood dream of becoming a doctor seem unattainable. To support himself and his family, he began working at an auto parts store as a teenager and, by the age of 19, had opened his own auto repair shop, Allamby’s Auto Service. Over the years, he expanded his business to include additional locations and services, such as a towing service and a used car company.

In his mid-30s, seeking to enhance his business skills, Allamby enrolled in a business program at Ursuline College. A required biology course reignited his long-held interest in medicine. Encouraged by his professor and supported by his wife, he decided to pursue a medical career. He began taking pre-med courses at Cuyahoga Community College and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cleveland State University, graduating summa cum laude. At the age of 44, he enrolled in Northeast Ohio Medical University and graduated in 2019 at age 47.

After medical school, Allamby completed a residency in emergency medicine at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. He is currently an emergency medical physician at Cleveland Clinic's Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. He has often said that the diagnostic and problem-solving skills he developed as a mechanic have been invaluable in his work as a doctor.

Dr. Allamby's journey from auto mechanic to physician is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to follow one’s dreams.