At 6:07 pm of that sunny day in August, the clock stopped ticking. Glass shattered, part of the ceiling collapsed,
and the electricity went out. Instantaneously, I went to the emergency room of the hospital I was working in. I
found myself walking to the pediatrics department, knowing that it is where my heart belongs. On that evening,
more than 500 patients were treated in the highly populated Beirut area by the Emergency Department due to
what was later named the Beirut Blast. The scene of the injured children and crying babies was overwhelming and
devastating, yet the sense of safety I gave them was rewarding. It re-iterated my decision of choosing to be a
pediatrician which I developed 2 years ago.
Back then, in the outpatient clinics of the Pediatrics Department, I witnessed the beauty of this specialty. Just like
the metaphor of the butterfly flapping its wings leading eventually to a storm, small changes in the pediatrics
population is the best path to prevent diseases and build a healthy community. As a regular patient, three-year-old
Zaher had a smile I’d never forget. He loved his new eye patch, covering his left eye, not knowing that his eye was
removed after diagnosing retinoblastoma. Following him throughout his visits, I witnessed empathy, care, careful
examination, and the fun playful attitude he received. These are the tactics I want to learn as a physician.
Having this in mind, throughout the medical school years, I worked on developing my skills through volunteering in
several organizations. I joined the “Health Clinic for Migrant Workers”, where migrants and their families received
clinical support from students and doctors. There, I connected with kids and adolescents from tough backgrounds.
With a focus on vulnerable populations, particularly children, I also worked with Syrian refugees, visiting the camps
and witnessing the difficulties they pass through; thus, growing a sense of moral responsibility towards societies in
need. In one of the camps, I got introduced to Asma, a 12-year-old, and the only survivor among her two brothers.
She had resilience and strength in her voice that hid a lot of miseries. With correct antibiotics to cure her tonsillitis
and pens and papers to help her express her feelings along with a few weeks of follow up, Asma now has beautiful
drawings decorating her neighborhood.
During those experiences, I also understood the importance of prevention. Despite the tendency to link
preventative medicine to adult patients, it has a major role in pediatrics. Simple measures such as education and
proper hygiene are the solution to many bread-and-butter pediatric problems. Other conditions, however, need
specific screening modalities. As I volunteered with the “Hicham-El-Hage program for Young Hearts”, aimed at
screening young adults for cardiac dysfunction, my colleagues and I established the First Aid team where we gave
sessions about CPR and first aid to young athletes attending the screening. The complexity of syndromes and
inherited diseases deepened my curiosity and drove me to research.
This research interest was unveiled when working in the cardiovascular lab under the supervision of Dr. George
Nemer. My colleagues and I linked few genes to inherited sensorineural hearing loss found in several families who
presented to the hospital. Also, to expand my research expertise, I am dedicating my postgraduate year to work as
a postdoctoral research fellow in the Center of Infectious Disease Research (CIDR) where I am working on several
projects to enrich my basic knowledge in research strategies and medical background in infectious diseases and
immunology in the pediatric population.
In addition to having a solid base in research, the physician I aspire to become has the skills that make him a
healer, a friend, a patient advocate, and an astute clinician. I am proud of the experiences that molded me into a
life-long learner, and I am excited to face challenges that push me to upgrade my skills to become a better version
of myself.
Learning about pre-existing conditions and vulnerable populations in my electives in the United States proved to
be one of those challenges I was looking forward to. My two electives in medical genetics and pediatric
rheumatology introduced me to the inpatient and outpatient workflow in the US. There, I enjoyed the culture of
organized systemic learning, the various subspecialties available, and the relatively big number of patients. This
experience encouraged me to pursue a residency program that focuses on evidence-based patient care and
and the electricity went out. Instantaneously, I went to the emergency room of the hospital I was working in. I
found myself walking to the pediatrics department, knowing that it is where my heart belongs. On that evening,
more than 500 patients were treated in the highly populated Beirut area by the Emergency Department due to
what was later named the Beirut Blast. The scene of the injured children and crying babies was overwhelming and
devastating, yet the sense of safety I gave them was rewarding. It re-iterated my decision of choosing to be a
pediatrician which I developed 2 years ago.
Back then, in the outpatient clinics of the Pediatrics Department, I witnessed the beauty of this specialty. Just like
the metaphor of the butterfly flapping its wings leading eventually to a storm, small changes in the pediatrics
population is the best path to prevent diseases and build a healthy community. As a regular patient, three-year-old
Zaher had a smile I’d never forget. He loved his new eye patch, covering his left eye, not knowing that his eye was
removed after diagnosing retinoblastoma. Following him throughout his visits, I witnessed empathy, care, careful
examination, and the fun playful attitude he received. These are the tactics I want to learn as a physician.
Having this in mind, throughout the medical school years, I worked on developing my skills through volunteering in
several organizations. I joined the “Health Clinic for Migrant Workers”, where migrants and their families received
clinical support from students and doctors. There, I connected with kids and adolescents from tough backgrounds.
With a focus on vulnerable populations, particularly children, I also worked with Syrian refugees, visiting the camps
and witnessing the difficulties they pass through; thus, growing a sense of moral responsibility towards societies in
need. In one of the camps, I got introduced to Asma, a 12-year-old, and the only survivor among her two brothers.
She had resilience and strength in her voice that hid a lot of miseries. With correct antibiotics to cure her tonsillitis
and pens and papers to help her express her feelings along with a few weeks of follow up, Asma now has beautiful
drawings decorating her neighborhood.
During those experiences, I also understood the importance of prevention. Despite the tendency to link
preventative medicine to adult patients, it has a major role in pediatrics. Simple measures such as education and
proper hygiene are the solution to many bread-and-butter pediatric problems. Other conditions, however, need
specific screening modalities. As I volunteered with the “Hicham-El-Hage program for Young Hearts”, aimed at
screening young adults for cardiac dysfunction, my colleagues and I established the First Aid team where we gave
sessions about CPR and first aid to young athletes attending the screening. The complexity of syndromes and
inherited diseases deepened my curiosity and drove me to research.
This research interest was unveiled when working in the cardiovascular lab under the supervision of Dr. George
Nemer. My colleagues and I linked few genes to inherited sensorineural hearing loss found in several families who
presented to the hospital. Also, to expand my research expertise, I am dedicating my postgraduate year to work as
a postdoctoral research fellow in the Center of Infectious Disease Research (CIDR) where I am working on several
projects to enrich my basic knowledge in research strategies and medical background in infectious diseases and
immunology in the pediatric population.
In addition to having a solid base in research, the physician I aspire to become has the skills that make him a
healer, a friend, a patient advocate, and an astute clinician. I am proud of the experiences that molded me into a
life-long learner, and I am excited to face challenges that push me to upgrade my skills to become a better version
of myself.
Learning about pre-existing conditions and vulnerable populations in my electives in the United States proved to
be one of those challenges I was looking forward to. My two electives in medical genetics and pediatric
rheumatology introduced me to the inpatient and outpatient workflow in the US. There, I enjoyed the culture of
organized systemic learning, the various subspecialties available, and the relatively big number of patients. This
experience encouraged me to pursue a residency program that focuses on evidence-based patient care and
