ˈɑːmæd wʌz pɚswˈeɪdᵻd baɪ hɪz fˈæmɪli tə stˈʌdi mˈɛdəsənz; hiː ðˈɛɹfoːɹ ɐplˈaɪd fɔːɹ θɹˈiː mˈɛdɪkəl skˈuːlz— kˈɪŋ dʒˈɔːɹdʒ mˈɛdɪkəl jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn lˈʌknaʊ, kˈɪŋ ˈɛdwɚd mˈɛdɪkəl kˈɑːlɪdʒ ɪn lɐhˈoːɹ, ænd dˈaʊ mˈɛdɪkəl kˈɑːlɪdʒ ɪn kɚɹˈɑːɹtʃi.
Ahmad was persuaded by his family to study medicines; he therefore applied for three medical schools— King George Medical University in Lucknow, King Edward Medical College in Lahore, and Dow Medical College in Karachi.