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Fall 2021 (Volume 31, Number 3)

Overcoming the Extra Hurdles in Training

By Anwar Albasri, BMBCh, FRCPC

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Getting accepted into training in Canada was a dream come true for me. The Kuwaiti physicians I had encountered who had graduated from Canadian programs seemed to me to be possessed of a unique skillset. I wanted to learn their secrets. My passion was enough for me to momentarily minimize some of the many hurdles international medical graduates (IMGs) experience along the way. I call them hurdles because I was able to overcome them. Some I overcame with difficulty, some more easily, but in every instance with a lot of help. As I list some of the greatest hurdles I faced, I want to point out that I did not encounter each of them asynchronously.

1. Language Barriers: English is not my first language nor was I familiar with Canadian culture and so, inevitably, there were times early on when my relationships with patients were not very smooth. I also had to spend extra time editing my clinical notes after hours. This was very discouraging. Over time, having nonjudgmental staff and colleagues explain things to me in a kind manner helped me overcome this particular hurdle.

2. Religious Identity: As a practicing Muslim who wears a hijab I was very visible. Patients and physicians would sometimes inappropriately bring up my faith, my hijab, or ask questions such as whether my religion allowed me to examine male patients. I am not sure people from other religious groups would have faced these questions. Although I am very sociable by nature, I was nervous about attending social events with people from work where I might be repeatedly offered alcohol. As a result, I missed opportunities to connect with experts in rheumatology. Small interventions, like delaying a team dinner by a few hours so I could eat with the rest of the team during Ramadan, made a huge impression on me, helped me get past this anxiety, and made me feel like I belonged.

3. Motherhood: Motherhood should not have to be a hurdle, but unfortunately it is often made to be one. During fellowship, I had two kids under the age of five and a husband who worked on a different continent. Being a mother and a resident who was “trying to do it all” was not easy. It meant planning ahead, pairing tasks, and swallowing my pride asking for help when I needed it. On the occasions that I couldn’t balance motherhood and residency, motherhood came first. I am thankful my program gave me time off when I needed it. However, I often wonder whether I would have been more successful, particularly academically, had I had greater or different support.

Each of us faces different hurdles during residency beyond the clinical side. The kindness and compassion that we exhibit towards each other is just as important as what we exhibit towards patients. Simple words and gestures which the members of my program displayed, such as assuring me that they would be there for me no matter where in the world my career would take me, are just one example where I was made to feel like I belonged. Kindness is simple to demonstrate, and most hurdles can be overcome with the right support; the problem often lies in recognizing which hurdles residents need help with.

Anwar Albasri, BMBCh, FRCPC
Rheumatologist,
Toronto, Ontario



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