Pre-Med to ‘Tire Doctor’: Why a Medical Student Spent His Gap Year in the Tire Industry

Baqi Syed of USA Wheel & Tire Outlet Inc. explains why he chose the tire industry during his gap year and what tire dealers can learn from his experience about attracting Gen Z employees.
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Baqi Syed didn’t plan to spend his gap year between undergraduate studies and medical school working in the tire industry. But after graduating early from his pre-med program, Syed joined USA Wheel & Tire Outlet Inc. as a project manager to gain business experience he hopes to apply to his own medical practice one day.

Now preparing to attend Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, Syed reflects on what surprised him most about working in the tire industry — from the level of responsibility he was given and the innovations he oversaw to the relationships and culture that define the business.

In this episode of The Modern Tire Dealer Show, Syed shares what made the experience meaningful, why many Gen Z workers are looking for more than just a paycheck and what tire dealers can do to better attract and retain younger talent.

About the Author

Sara Welch

Managing Editor

Sara Welch is Modern Tire Dealer's managing editor. She is an award-winning journalist who covered agriculture in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia for 10 years and sports for five years before coming to MTD. She can be reached at [email protected].

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