Alhamdulilah.
I’ve officially passed all my exams and graduated – a few weeks ago now! I needed a long break to process what I’d just been through and catch up on lost sleep. My family also travelled to Egypt and made it to my graduation! The anticipation of them witnessing my name being called out as “Dr. Sahra” finally became a reality. Frankly, it was what kept me going during the last few weeks of my exams. I had to keep pushing through, even when I didn’t want to.
The last few months of finals have been very challenging, to say the least. Yet, I’ve felt an overwhelming amount of love and support from everyone around me. My family, in particular, has been a source of strength for me through countless Facetime calls and encouraging last-minute voice notes before entering the exam halls. They consoled me when I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, and kept my focus on what they always remind me is the real test; the akhira. I’m forever grateful for all of them (especially my fellow doctors hehe).
No End in Sight
My sixth year of medical school was mentally taxing and physically demanding, unlike any previous year. Many nights, I longed to sleep like a normal human, at normal times, and wake up without the fear of oversleeping and missing an exam. I wanted to drink coffee for pleasure, not in hopes of it taking away any desire I had for sleep.
I couldn’t picture the end of this ruthless cycle of exams. The toughest part was bouncing back after a disappointing exam, with little time to sulk and dwell on your mistakes. Internal Medicine and Surgery were the two subjects we had for the entirety of the 6th year, and with fifteen or so exams, you’d study the same set of books around 8 times for different exams. And then realize all the mistakes you made and tell yourself it’s alright..you did your best.
Good Friends For Hard Times…
I studied at a coworking space in Cairo called Stabraq for the past two years. My friends and I have so many good memories there. We laughed and cried together, enjoyed ordering food and sharing whatever we’d prepped from home. The books never left our gatherings, “We’ll revise as we eat, bring your books”, I’d say, only for them to be tucked away and the conversation veered away to something completely non-medical. The Stabraq girls (esp the OGs) were my sanctuary to escape from the grim face of finals. We were all in this together, the highs and lows both united us. Like my wise Sudanese friend often said, “موت الجماعة عرس”. The death of a group (together) is a wedding.
I have so much appreciation for every friend I met along the way. The girls in the group chats, your humour, your support, your du’aas, and your funny reels made me laugh when I did not want to. To the friend who randomly butted in a conversation one day and became my best friend since. To the one and only whom I bonded with over our disdain for the very first Biochemistry class. To those who kept me company in the most boring of lectures, to the kind souls who became my family over many Ramadan and Eids away from home. May Allah bless you all.
To Dr. M, my dearest friend “The Runaway Intern”, who is currently doing her internship in Qatar (yay!), I appreciate you so much :’). You got me through my hardest days and your daily messages checking up on my progress were much needed. May Allah reward you in goodness.
PLAB? USMLE? QATAR?
No one ever tells you, but the part after graduating from medical school is anything but straightforward. I’ve not been hit by any post-graduation blues. In fact, I am relishing my newfound freedom. However, these ‘What next?’ topics dominate a lot of our conversations these days; where we want to go and whether we’ll stay in Egypt for our one-year internship. After a lot of deliberation (and now that I think of it, I should pray istikhāra), I’ve decided to not do my internship in Egypt. Instead, I’ll apply for the UK foundation program next year inshaAllah.
I’ve cleared my IELTS exam alhamdulillah, so I’ll be booking PLAB 1 soon inshaAllah and taking it from there. My ideal situation would’ve been to start my internship in Qatar and apply for their Paediatric/IM programs afterward, but I’d need a residency permit. My university hospital is not high on my list and I’ve also crossed out the US pathway for a variety of reasons. Deep down I wonder if I’m just choosing the familiar and easy way out (I know I am lol).
Honestly, I’ve missed having some sort of stability in recent years. The back and forth between London and Cairo every holiday was tough. Now, more than ever, I simply want to settle down in one place and spend time with my family.
Beginning of a New Chapter
As my time in Egypt draws to a close, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude at how incredible this journey has been and how much personal growth I’ve experienced. According to the plans I had in place, I would’ve been a midwife in London by now. Yet here I am, in Cairo, graduating as a doctor. I could have never pictured it in a million years. I’m so thankful to have met such wonderful people here – including the people who were unforgettable life lessons.
I have no idea what Allah has written for me, but I’m looking forward to the next chapter inshaAllah. I pray that Allah SWT benefits me with what I learned and allows me to benefit others. Please do keep me in your du’aas.
Here’s to embracing new beginnings.
Aisha mohamud says
Congratulations to our beautiful Doctor😍👩🏽🎓👩🏽⚕️
on your incredible achievement! Your hard work and dedication have truly paid off. Wishing you continued success and fulfillment in your future endeavors. 🎉