As I was standing outside work trying to flag a taxi home, one of my former students offered me a lift. Her sister, a medical student, was picking her up. I accepted. Her sister, who spoke very nice English, told me that she was hoping to practice medicine in Basra after graduation... but was disappointed that her dream of becoming a surgeon was unlikely to come true. She said that people in Iraq feel that a surgeon needs strong hands (not a delicate or steady touch) to be successful. She has been advised not to pursue that path because even if she is the best surgeon in the region, she won't attract any patients and will ultimately fail. How depressing. Can this really be true?
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