To all the Egyptian doctors, we understand that you’re not all the same. We realize how hard you’ve had to work to earn your degree but before anything we would like to thank you and let you know that we really appreciate you. We sometimes feel sorry for you because the working environment can be very challenging here in Egypt. However, there are 10 things we’d like to tell you and ask you to kindly take them into consideration.

1-We’re not ignorant; you can at least try and explain to us

I promise you we will understand if you tried to explain to us the symptoms, prognosis and treatment protocol of our illness. Some of us are actually doctors, pharmacists or scientists; others might have read and done a lot of research about their illness so please respect our urge to understand what exactly we’re suffering from.

2-You are NOT a business man

Please stop trying to make profit out of our pain. We understand that being a doctor is a profession after all, and you have to earn your living, however don’t let us undertake unnecessary treatment or surgeries just to make money out of it.

3-We don’t want to have to travel abroad when we have a serious illness

Some people don’t have the money, the time or the connections to travel abroad every time they feel sick. And even if they do, they don’t want to travel every time they need to undergo an operation leaving their home and family behind. We want you to be as professional as the doctors abroad or even better. We want the hospitals to be cleaner and to have the latest and most advanced equipment.

4-We want you to listen to us attentively and give us time

People usually don’t like to go to doctors, but sometimes we really don’t have a choice. It will be nice of you to listen to our problems carefully because it’s what we came for and because it’s part of your job. You shouldn’t forget that the patient is more familiar with their body than you are so listen to them and believe them.

5-We don’t like to be treated like subjects.

So please don’t treat us like we are. Don’t experiment on us, don’t treat us with neglect and don’t take uncalculated risks when it comes to our health.

6-Matelta3ounash:

You always make us wait for hours at your clinic before you finally show up. Wouldn’t it be easier for us and for you if you just give us the exact time that you’re planning to come?! You also give us a time for an operation and decide to make it 5 hours later without any legit excuse. Some of your patients are elderly and most of them are probably very sick and tired.. Fa betbahdelouna leih?!.. We know that your time is precious but please know that ours is too!!

7-Don’t forget that you’re a role model for future doctors

Please be a good example. Teach them properly, instruct and guide them. Teach them to be humble and modest.

8-We know that you sacrifice and suffer a lot here in Egypt so please make it worthwhile.

We know you spent 7 years of your precious life just to get through your bachelor’s degree, and before that you broke your neck studying in high school so you can get the grades for it. After finishing your bachelor’s degree, you had to study for your master’s degree and probably a couple of other certificates. We know that you used to get paid very little and had to tolerate tough grading professors and most of them were even unfair to you during the whole process of your education. However, you made it and here you are so please make all that worthwhile. Treat us right and do your miracles because that’s what we really need.

9-You job is being honorable so you have to respect it 

This is mostly addressed to the doctors who betray their vow to the community and to God: the people who only hold the title of doctors when they don’t even deserve it, the ones who steal human organs especially from the poor and sell them and the ones who undergo illegal operations just to make money out of it. Please stop!!

10-We want to be able to trust you with ourselves

We want to trust that your diagnosis is correct and that we don’t have to seek second opinions. We want to know that if we decided to undergo a simple procedure we won’t die in the process due to neglect. We want to be certain that you won’t forget a towel inside our abdomen or accidentally puncture one of our organs during surgery, or contract infections due to the poor sterilization of your tools. We simply wish to trust you.