Mousa Azer (22) is a 6^th year medical student from Cairo, Egypt.

How is university life in Cairo?

Like any other medical student in the world, we have to compromise a lot of activities in order to make something out of studying medicine. However, there is always enough time to relax, enjoy, meditate, and go crazy. Hanging out, making the best of the adorable nightlife in Cairo, the heavenly sea sides and definitely the hot south of Egypt always makes our life much easier.

Is it financially possible for everyone to study medicine in Egypt?

It is not just about the tuition fees when it comes to studying medicine in Egypt. To join medical school, you have to attain a 97% score in high school. This is not an easy job and it takes a lot of effort. Recently, since the number of students is increasing, the government decided to open private universities. You need a minimum score of only 85% to be able to join a private school. However, you have to pay twenty dollars per year to attend public school, while you obliged to pay 6 000 dollars tuition fee to join a private school.

What do you think is the best part of the medical education in Egypt?  

In Egypt, we study almost the same curriculum as anywhere else in the world. However, I consider it a blessing to be able to have direct contact with the patient, examine patients freely and perform small procedures on patients in the presence of professors. In many other countries, touching a patient may get you thrown out of college. In Egypt, you have the chance to study diseases “live”.

If you can change one thing of the medical education in Egypt, what would that be?

The system of flow of information from one professor to a lot of students is somehow making it hard for many students to learn. If there would be a system where there is one professor and an assistant responsible for three or four students, I believe this could change many things.

Describe your life in 2020….

I would like to be a successful surgeon, working on my own theories and procedures. However, a successful career is just one aspect of the future; family, friends and travelling are other aspects I would like to have well organized by 2020.