I Was A Top Doctor In Afghanistan. In Canada, I’m A Medical Sonographer

For more than 20 years, I was the head of the gynecology department and a professor at Kabul Medical University of Science in Afghanistan. During my time there, I trained hundreds of medical students—some of whom are now the most successful and well-known doctors in the country.

But in 2022, my life completely changed: The Taliban had taken control in Afghanistan, and my family and I moved to Canada for our safety. That meant giving up my years of experience as a doctor. I traded my profession for safety—and now, I’m training to become a medical sonographer.

It’s a professional downgrade from the long career I held back home. After the first era of the Taliban in 2001, I established the gynecology department in the medical faculty of Kabul University. At the time, I was the first and only female professor, and it took almost a decade to build the department, hire professors and compile textbooks. Afghanistan has one of the highest mortality rates among mothers in the world, and I tried my best to offer a curriculum for doctors and midwives to help save mothers’ lives.

Aside from my responsibilities at the faculty, I also practiced gynecology at Kabul’s public hospital. And in my downtime, I taught and practised medicine at my own private clinic—I’d teach during the day, and visit patients from 5 to 11 p.m. Sometimes, I would have operations after midnight. The support of my husband, who is also a doctor and university professor, and both of our families facilitated my path to being a professional female doctor in a very conservative and male-dominated country. 

Then, in 2020, I became one of the deputies of the medical faculty at Kabul University. It was a golden opportunity for me: I’d be managing and working with six big hospitals in the city. It was my job to assess the hospitals and identify the strengths and weaknesses of our systems, which allowed me to improve our hospitals and especially ensure that maternity hospitals were well-equipped and staffed. 

But just a year into my new role, the Taliban regained power and banned women from working and studying outside of the home. I was forced out of work for six months. When I was called back, I was only allowed to practice on the condition that I, and other female doctors, work and study in separate classrooms and offices and at different times than men. I accepted the offer and started working as a doctor and university instructor again. Fortunately, female students could study at the university for two semesters after the Taliban takeover. But after final exams in 2021, the Taliban banned women from studying completely. 

I knew I had to leave Afghanistan. I did not want my daughters, who were both medical students, to be victims of this system anymore. Although it was difficult for my family to leave our homeland, we knew we had to choose the future and safety of our four children, who are students. Had I stayed in Afghanistan, my two daughters might have ended up staying at home like millions of girls in Afghanistan who are no longer allowed to go to school. 

We arrived in Ottawa on a freezing Monday evening in December 2022. As soon as we landed, the immigration department of Canada gave us thick coats; it was the coldest weather I had experienced. Before coming to Canada, we had researched the country, and because four of my siblings had immigrated before us, we were fully aware of the life conditions waiting for us. We stayed in a governmental temporary residency for two months until we could rent a house ourselves.

In Canada, my children were able to continue their studies at a public school. This year, after two years of studying, both of my daughters were accepted into the health science department at University of Ottawa; they’ll start their degrees in the fall.

Meanwhile, my husband and I also took English language courses. I even started watching English language videos on YouTube in an effort to learn the language faster. 

But the biggest change for me since our arrival has been my career.

I tried to find a way to get back to my profession as a doctor in this new country, but it is more difficult than I anticipated. When we moved to Canada, my husband and I started researching the necessary exams that would allow us to practice medicine again. But we would need to study for at least a year to prepare for the exams—without an income. Instead, I enrolled in classes to become a medical sonographer in order to provide for my family in the short-term. Currently, I study language along with chemistry and mathematics as prerequisites for the sonography program. It will take me at least another three years to be able to work. 

The process of settling in a new country and starting from scratch was harrowing, and it has taken a toll on us. Four months after our move, my husband became extremely depressed and he had to be hospitalized. Currently, he is not able to work. We receive some government support while I’m in school, but it’s been tough to make ends meet. We need to start working as soon as we can. 

Despite all of these hardships, I haven’t given up on my career. One of my former graduates, Dr. Mohammad Nasir Jallah, is now the CEO of the Canadian Afghan Association for Health Professionals. The organization offers free courses for newcomer doctors to prepare for their exams to practice medicine in Canada. I have been attending the classes for a few months now, and I spend at least 10 hours a day preparing for the exams. I hope to be able to take the tests in 2025 to become a Canadian doctor.  

It is heartbreaking that my 20 years of experience as a doctor does not count in Canada and that I have to start from scratch. It’s especially disheartening when considering the dearth of family doctors in Canada. I’ve even tried to find volunteer work as a doctor or a health worker, but I’ve had no luck so far. 

I am grateful to be in Canada—and I am so glad my children can go to school without facing any barriers. I hope one day, me and my husband will get back to our careers. Helping and treating patients—especially mothers—is my life’s aim, and I hope to be able to do that once again.