From Motors to Medicine: An East Cleveland Auto Mechanic Becomes A Doctor At 47
If there’s one thing we know here at The Root Bedside Baptist Church, it’s that a delay doesn’t mean a denial. (Come on somebody.) And in the case of mechanic turned medical doctor, Carl Allamby, no statement could be more true. While pursuing a medical degree is a long road for anybody, for Dr. Allamby of East Cleveland, Ohio, realizing his lifelong goal of practicing medicine would take him more than 30 years.
Growing up in the 70s in a small suburb in East Cleveland as one of five siblings to a door to door salesman and stay at home mother, Allamby didn’t have it easy. As he told Fox News, he recalls many times going without food, gas, and electricity in his home.
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“We faced economic hardships throughout my upbringing and were on welfare for what seemed to be my entire childhood,” said Allamby.
“And if not for government handouts,” he said, “we would have been without food on many occasions.”
He added, “I remember having a desire at a young age to become a doctor — but my life circumstances led me to a much different place.”
And while it was difficult at times, Allamby credits his perseverance and ambition to his family.
“My saving grace,” added Allamby, “was our strong family structure. My siblings and I always stuck together and weathered our hardships as a team,” he told Fox.
It was this ambition that motivated Allamby to take on a part time job at a local auto repair shop during high school. He then began performing repairs and offering maintenance services as a side gig. But that wouldn’t lend enough financial support to his family. And so at only 19, Allamby opened his first auto repair shop.
“In a sense, I started Allamby’s Auto Service mostly out of desperation and necessity,” he said.
Throughout the years, (25 to be exact), Allamby’s business grew, and so did his own family. During this time, the mechanic had gotten married and began raising his own children. Despite running a successful shop, Allamby found that he still struggled financially, and wanted a change. So in 2006, Allamby enrolled in Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio at the age of 34, taking classes in the evening while still maintaining his business.
While Allamby originally pursued a business degree, it would be an introductory biology class that would reignite the passion he once held for medicine.
“Learning about some of the incredible basic functions of the body reminded me of my childhood ambitions to become a doctor,” Allamby told Fox News Digital.
And so, in 2010, Allamby started to take pre-med classes at Cuyahoga Community College, in Cleveland, Ohio. He was later accepted into Cleveland State University to prepare him for medical school.
“Over the course of five years or better, I attended weekend, evening or early morning classes in pre-medicine and other college studies while managing my business, lifestyle and household in order to transition my career,” he said.
Going back to school can be tough for any adult student, but Allamby says that being older helped him remain focused and helped him recall the family who was counting on him to succeed. And succeed he did. In 2022, he began his first job in an emergency room as an attending physician. When asked if he had any advice to provide to those going for their goals later in life, he had this to say:
“I feel we all have the opportunity to make our lives better. If you want it, go after it. Don’t give up. Plan your work and work your plan. Your sacrifices today will produce advantages for tomorrow.”
