"I’ve had many ups-downs with regards to my personal identity and made many mistakes along the way. Recently, I started wearing the hijab. This was another self-conscious decision that I made. For me, it's not an accessory handed down by my society but a representation of strength and ownership of my identity."
September, 2021
Dr. Misbah in KNYA Med's Long Sleeve Lab Coat Apron
“If someone asked me what I thought of Pediatrics in MBBS, I would say — I love that we get such cute patients! However now I know that a significant part of Pediatrics are the parents. Being a Pediatrician, you’re a doctor to 3 patients at once: the child, and the parents. Treating children involves counselling the parents and assuring them that everything will soon be better. Every parent values their child above everything including themselves. This is what I believe makes Pediatrics special. It demands empathy and this is why I love what I do.
I’ve had many ups-downs with regards to my personal identity and made many mistakes along the way. Recently, I started wearing the hijab. This was another self-conscious decision that I made. For me, it's not an accessory handed down by my society but a representation of strength and ownership of my identity.
‘Conservative’ is how I would best describe my upbringing. Brought up in Qatar, I moved to India by myself at the age of 14 to prepare for med school. My parents are very ‘pro-education’, however being the eldest girl in my family, brought with it the challenges of being the first to break many barriers — first to study away from home, first to live in boarding, first to study for Masters.
Soon after I completed my MBBS, my family expected me to get married. That is the norm. Get married first, jobs will come and go. It took months of convincing and persistence to get my message across. But today, it has paved the way for the sisters & cousins after me to also chase their dreams — they can, because I fought for it in the beginning.
Being a doctor takes courage and strength. Everyone is fighting their own battles and have a story to tell. Some know mine, and others who don’t can never guess. That’s what it takes to be a doctor —Resilience — you have to leave your feelings aside, get up and focus on something bigger than yourself.”