Where and when were you born?
I was born in Nablus, in the West Bank in October of 1991.
What is your family life like?
I am the youngest one in my family, which consists of my parents, two brothers, and one sister. My father is a university Ph.D. lecturer in Sociology and my mother is a biologist. My other two brothers are also doctors and my sister is a lawyer. I've was raised in Nablus where I also completed my schooling and university education.
Why did you want to become a doctor?
I had thoughts about becoming a doctor ever since my childhood as I was influenced at first by my uncle who is a surgeon. My brother then followed in his footsteps. I saw their role in helping a lot of patients in different medical fields, so this motivated me to be like them.
What experiences motivated you to pursue medicine?
I didn’t have any previous personal experience in the medical field before, but as mentioned, the experiences were the ones I saw in my family.
What medical training have you received and where?
I received my medical education at An-Najah National University in Nablus and graduated in 2015. I then completed a one-year internship and after this, worked for 2 years in different medical fields which were mainly Internal Medicine and Surgery. In 2018, I started my specialty in general radiology with Save a Child’s Heart as part of the EU-funded Save a Child’s Heart “Heart of the Matter Program” and I am now at the end of my third year of residency with one year left to finish it. I've recently received the opportunity to continue my training in the program of Pediatric Cardiac MRI imaging with the support of The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust for which I am extremely grateful.
Why did you choose your specialty?
During my work in the Internal Medicine Departments and General Surgery, I noticed that I have a great passion and interest in radiology as I found that it sums up different medical fields and forms a cornerstone in planning a patient’s treatment.
How did you find out about the medical training program in Israel?
After I had decided that I want to be a radiologist I started to search for a place to do the Radiology residency program. I applied to different places and I heard from my friends that there is an opportunity to do it at the Wolfson Medical Center through Save a Child's Heart. I heard that they provide an excellent residency program for diagnostic and interventional Radiology with high-quality medical standards.
Why did you decide to pursue the program with Save a Child's Heart?
I heard a lot about how Save a Child’s Heart provided help to patients from different places around the world and to Palestinian children and how this improved their quality of life in every aspect. This was especially noticeable when I started the training program in the Pediatric Cardiac MRI.
What motivates you to train and return to the West Bank to practice medicine?
There is a lack and a great need for General Radiology specialists in general and for Pediatric Cardiac MRI in particular, so to be a part in providing such medical service would be such a great step in providing medical treatment to so many children.
How long is your training in Israel for?
It’s a four-year residency program of General Radiology with a 1-year Pediatric Cardiac MRI fellowship.
What experiences have you had so far with Save a Child's Heart that have stuck out to you - can you share a story?
I remember in one of our meetings that Save a Child’s Heart organized, they hosted a number of children that underwent cardiac procedures years ago. I noticed how these procedures made such a big difference for them and for their families' lives through the stories that they shared. This really made me proud to be a part of such an effort and an organization.
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