What year did you graduate?  

2018 

What course did you study?  

4-Year Graduate Entry MBBS 

What is your current role?  

I am currently a GP trainee in London and I am also Head of Medical products and board member at the NGO, Alamna. 

How did you get into your current role?  

After graduation, naturally, I pursued my career in medicine. I completed 2 years of foundation training, did a year of locum work as a junior doctor and then started GP training. During my GP training, I co-founded the NGO, Alamna, along with some colleagues. We started this NGO because we recognized the crisis occurring in Lebanon and believed we could meet some of its needs through coordinated collaboration. We are a group of young professionals who have gathered to make a positive impact in physical and mental well-being to the populations in need. My skills and experience made me an asset in facilitating projects related to health, and in our first two months we were already able to send over 400kg of essential medications to hospitals in Lebanon. 

Can you describe a typical day?  

My days have become quite busy, but I enjoy everything I’m doing. I’m working full time as a GP trainee during the day and after hours I work on the development of Alamna. Alamna is still in an expansion phase and I’ve taken on a variety of roles. These include working as a project lead, fundraising, screening of product acquisition, recruitment, and networking.  

What do you enjoy about your role?  

I love that I get to apply my skills for causes that are close to me. Most doctors will list “wanting to help people” as one of the reasons for joining their profession. Now, not only am I training in a GP program and helping the local community daily, but I’m also using my experience in medicine to work on a drive that helps communities outside our borders. I also like that I’ve been taken out of my comfort zone and forced to develop other skills that are required when starting an NGO. In summary, my roles have allowed me to pursue something fulfilling, apply my expertise to this pursuit, as well expand on my professional development. 

What do you find challenging in your current role? 

These are new roles for me, so one challenge is there has been a steep learning curve. Also, it can be very busy between juggling my roles as a GP trainee and in Alamna. I have met these challenges by allowing myself time to adapt to the new roles and their steep learning curves, and I’m delegating tasks appropriately as well as receiving social support from friends and family. 

What advice would you give to a current student at St George’s who is keen to get into a similar area of work as you?  

My advice would be to go for it! You can do whatever you put your mind to. Just plan out a path and try to be organised about it. I would never have imagined starting an NGO while GP training, let alone that our projects would be so successful, so who knows what triumphs await you.  

Which aspects of your degree are relevant for your current role?  

Our MBBS course prepared me in more ways than I can state. The most obvious aspect would be learning the direct medical issues individuals may have, but we also had communication workshops, team-building, population health studies, and a focus on holistic approaches that were all relevant. Also, because the course can be demanding I developed prioritization and organizational skills to meet those demands. 

Do you have any advice or a message for current students at St George’s? 

Enjoy your time as a student and take advantage of what the courses have to offer you. You will likely need to apply them in ways you wouldn’t predict. 

Do you have any advice or a message for students considering studying at St George’s?  

St George’s has set me up well, and I’m confident that they will do the same for you.