Basil Kahwash, MD

Basil Kahwash, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine on the Clinical Educator track in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He earned his baccalaureate degree in molecular biology, with a minor in statistics, from Kenyon College. He then entered the College of Medicine and Life Sciences at the University of Toledo, earning his Doctor of Medicine degree in 2015. Dr. Kahwash completed residency in internal medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. He then enrolled in allergy and immunology fellowship at The Ohio State College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio, from which he graduated in 2020.

Dr. Kahwash's primary interest is in healthcare quality improvement with a focus on provider-patient communication and health literacy. Health literacy gaps are often under-recognized in medicine, particularly in complex diseases like asthma. An important part of Dr. Kahwash's career as a physician has been to recognize and bridge these gaps.  

Dr. Kahwash is fluent in Arabic and Spanish. He has received honors and awards throughout his academic career, including recent recognition as a 2022 Rising Star by Castle Connolly Top Doctors. Dr. Kahwash is an active member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. He also holds membership in the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, the American Contact Dermatitis Society, the American Medical Association, the Clinical Immunology Society, and the World Allergy Organization. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.