Ten years ago, Kaheerman Saibire—who goes by the name Sabira—arrived in the United States with a dream and just a few phrases of English.
Today, she’s Dr. Sabira Kaheerman—a 2025 graduate of Kansas City University’s (KCU) College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM)—preparing for an OB-Gyn residency in Queens, New York.
Her path from a close-knit family home in Xinjiang to a hospital labor floor in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in America hasn’t been easy. But it’s a journey defined by quiet strength, resilience and purpose.
“I finally did it,” she said, reflecting on the moment she walked across the stage at commencement. “After so many years, I get to say: I’m a doctor.”
Sabira always knew she wanted to be a doctor. As a child, she was fascinated by IVs, vaccines and the people who delivered them.
“I thought it was the doctor doing everything, and I wanted to be that person,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t know exactly what it meant, but I knew I wanted to help people.”
After high school, she was accepted to a medical university in China, but when the program didn’t align with her goals, she made the bold decision to start over—this time in a new country with a new language.
“I knew the basics, but that was it,” Sabira said. “I tested into an ESL course, finished the program in a year and just kept going.”
She earned her associate degree from South Seattle College and later transferred to the University of Washington–Bothell, continuing to push forward in a country and language still new to her. Navigating unfamiliar systems while building a life far from home, she never lost sight of her goal.
That determination led her to KCU’s Joplin campus, where she began the next chapter of her journey. It turned out to be the right fit in ways she hadn’t expected.
“I thought I wanted to be in a bigger city, but Joplin turned out to be exactly what I needed,” she said. “Smaller class sizes created close relationships with my classmates”
Just one week into her first year, Sabira experienced a devastating personal loss: the passing of her younger brother. Separated by time and distance, she hadn’t seen him since leaving home several years earlier.
The grief has never fully left her. Even so, it has influenced the way she connects with others.
“I don’t have children of my own, I don’t know that kind of loss, but I feel my parents’ pain,” she said. “Time helps, but it never fully heals. And I think that’s why I can feel so much for the people I care for. Even if I haven’t lived their exact experience, I understand what it means to hurt.”
That kind of empathy makes her a better physician—one who listens closely, feels deeply and meets patients where they are.
During clinical rotations, Sabira explored every specialty. But it was OB-GYN that stood out—chaotic, beautiful, emotional and filled with moments that stayed with her.
“The first time I saw a birth, I was overwhelmed. It was messy, loud, incredible—and I couldn’t stop tearing up,” she said. “That’s when I knew OB-GYN was right for me.”
What appealed to her most was the chance to care for patients through all stages of life, building relationships that span years or even decades.
“That’s my dream,” she said. “To be the doctor women turn to again and again—for their first birth, their third and for everything in between.”
Now, she’s preparing to begin a four-year residency: excited, a little nervous and ready.
Sabira’s father traveled from Xinjiang to attend her graduation. It was their first in-person reunion in nearly a decade.
“It was surreal,” she said. “He got to hear me called ‘Doctor Sabira Kaheerman.’ I think he’s proud.”
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