Texas Medical Board members’ ties to Pakistan have drawn attention after medical freedom advocate Dr. Mary Tully Bowden revealed how one board member held a position in Pakistan and how another advised foreign students on how to obtain residencies at U.S. medical schools.
Rao Kamran Ali
Rao Kamran Ali, a Texas resident and Texas Physics Assistant Board member, also serves as the U.S. coordinator for URAAN Pakistan, a flagship initiative of Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives aimed at building a “trillion-dollar economy” by 2035, Bowden noted. Dr Bowden added, “Pakistan is known for tolerating violence against women, child marriage and honor killings.”Republican Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Ali to the Texas Medical Board in September 2023. After his term expired, the governor reappointed him in April 2025 to serve until 2031.
PhD Sherif Zafran
Dr. Sherif Zaafran is president of the Texas Medical Board. Dr. Bur Bowden noted that Zaafran was more interested in advising foreign students on how to get into U.S. medical schools. Dr. Bowden shared a video of Dr. Zafran speaking to Pakistani medical students, writing: “Are you an American hoping to get into medical school? Dr. Sharif Zafran, president of the Texas Medical Board, actually has some good advice, but for some reason, he focuses on sharing it with foreign students. I encourage all US pre-med students to watch this for important information. “Dr. Zafran suggested that there are some specialties, such as psychiatry and family medicine, where foreign medical graduates can get residency opportunities because the competition is not fierce, unlike specialties such as surgery and ophthalmology, where competition is fierce.Dr. Bowden cited the example of one of her colleagues who had a spotless record but was not licensed in Texas because the Texas Medical Board was recruiting doctors from other countries to apply for licensure.
