Professor Omar Farouque is a physician and cardiologist who has trained at leading universities in Australia and the United States. He is the Director of Cardiology at the Austin Hospital, Heidelberg. He is a recognised expert in interventional cardiology, a subspecialty using special techniques to treat people’s blocked arteries and some forms of heart valve disease. He is also a Clinical Professor in the medical faculty at the University of Melbourne and has written over 160 articles in international heart research journals.

Dr Farouque takes pride in the strong patient focus he brings to his medical practice. He is passionate about offering the best heart care to his patients having experienced the medical challenge within his own family. “When I was a medical student, my father developed a heart condition,” says Dr Farouque. “And that’s when I became determined to make my contribution in the field of cardiology and help patients recover.”

Dr Farouque, who grew up in Adelaide, graduated with Honours at the University of Adelaide. He began clinical training in cardiology and completed it in Melbourne, receiving a Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP). After obtaining a PhD in cardiovascular medicine at Monash University, he was awarded a prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) scholarship enabling him to study and train intensively for two years at Stanford University in California, USA. “Training at the Stanford University Medical Centre, one of the world’s leading hospitals, exposed me to cutting edge techniques and expanded my knowledge which I apply to benefit my patients.”

Helping people is important for Dr Farouque. As a volunteer member of the Australia-Sri Lanka Medical Aid Team, Dr Farouque has travelled overseas with other Melbourne-based doctors to help train local specialists in southern Sri Lanka. He is interested in rural health in Australia, and has helped set up the interventional cardiology service in Bendigo.

In his spare time, Dr Farouque enjoys cricket, watching AFL, bushwalking and spending time with family.