“Hard work is never wasted,” says Mohammed Ibrahim Malek, a third year medical student at Batterjee Medical College (BMC) for Science and Technology, who was honored by the college recently for passing the first test of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).
Malek must take two more examinations and complete his studies at BMC before he can get a license to practice medicine in the United States.
Dr. Khaled Batterjee, vice president of the Board of Trustees of BMC, said the college would do everything to help students achieve excellence in the medical field.
Malek told Arab News he is pleased with this initial success and believes he is blessed to have an older brother and sister, who are doctors, to guide him. “I did this exam under the supervision of my brother and sister who have always guided me. I spent my whole summer vacation preparing by watching online videos on medical knowledge. I also checked several websites before taking the exam online,” he said.
The one-day exam was not easy. “But if you are fully prepared then no difficulty can stop you from achieving your goal,” he said. He advised other students to work hard. It was not enough to be smart, he said.
Malek has American residency and came to Jeddah six years ago with his parents. He joined the BMC for his medical studies.
“This exam was the first step toward getting the US medical license. I will have to write two other online exams while living there,” he said. He wants to do his medical residency in the United States.
Dr. Hassan Shaibah, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, said the success of the college is based on the performance of its students.
“We are all proud of this achievement by Mohammad Malek, and it is an honor to support such outstanding students who have a strong desire to succeed and achieve academic excellence,” said Sobhi Batterjee, president of the Board of Trustees.
“The college’s achievements are motivating us to move forward to achieve worldwide excellence under the umbrella of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah,” he added.
BMC student passes first test for US medical license
