2024. április 10-én egy régi babitsos diák látogatott el hozzánk. Dr. Mohamed Abdelghani az 1995/1996-os tanévben végzett a Babits egyiptomi diákokból álló osztályában. A 11.B osztály tanulóinak egy angol óra keretében mesélt élményeiről. A részletek már a diákok összegyűjtött írásaiból ismerhető meg, melyeket tartalmi változtatások nélkül, tematikusan csoportosítva közlünk.
Szabó Kinga
angol nyelvtanár
Dr Mohamed Abdelghani is an Egyptian psychiatrist, currently working in his own private clinic in London. He is a former student of Babits and he graduated here 28 years ago. Recently he visited one of our English lessons, not only to talk about his journey as a doctor, but he also shared some life lessons and experiences he had during becoming an adult.
Our lesson with Dr Mohamed Abdelghani
Introduction
“On Wednesday, April 10th, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Mohamed Abdelghani, a distinguished alumnus of Babits, who completed his studies in the Egyptian class 28 years ago. Dr. Abdelghani shared insights from his life journey during our English class, particularly about his transition from Egypt to Hungary due to academic challenges that precluded him from entering medical school in his home country. He spoke of his year in Pécs, Hungary, with great affection, recalling the warm experiences he had with the school and its faculty.”
“Dr Mohamed Abdelghani was a student at Babits for a year, and now he is a psychiatrist in London, specialising in depression and adult ADHD.”
“He is from Egypt and came to Hungary to finish his secondary school studies and then go to medical school. A lot of his family members are also doctors.”
“Dr. Abdelghani is a well-trained doctor who was born and raised in Egypt. He came to study in PTE Babits Mihály high school to do his senior year. He was studying every single subject in English. Dr. Abdelghani gained a lot of good experiences and really enjoyed his time here.”
What Dr Abdelghani talked about
“Before our class we weren’t given an exact idea of what the topic of Dr Abdelghani would be, so upon him entering the class I was all curiosity to find out. We heard about a variety of things, so it would be hard to pinpoint just one topic, but if I had to, the most adequate thing to say would probably be his life. He told us a little about his high school years in Egypt, how he ended up at our institution in Hungary, what he gained from his experience here, and about his current career and how he got into it. The lack of a more exact topic worked very well in the case of his presentation, because it allowed us to ask questions and talk about the things that we found the most interesting. He told us many exciting things about his field of work as a psychiatrist – adult ADHD and depression – which is probably what we asked and talked the most about. I found learning about these things very eye-opening and informative, and it influenced within me an even-deeper interest in the topic.”
“First he explained to us what TMS - transcranial magnetic stimulation - is and how it originates in physics, from Faraday's electromagnetic experiments. It is a type of treatment for depression, if the patient doesn't respond to anything else. It uses a magnetic field to induce electric currents in certain areas of the brain. It is a practice that has been done for over ten years now, but it is still relatively new.”
“He also talked about ADHD (and how if it were to be named today it would not be called that, because it's less about the hyperactivity or the inattentiveness, and more about regulation problems) and how 50% of children once grown up do not have it anymore, which I found really interesting, because that sounds like a lot. He also mentioned how there are certain levels of ADHD, with not all of them needing the same treatment, if they need it at all; it depends heavily on the environment and if the condition impairs the person or not.”
“In my opinion Dr. Abdelghani’s presentation was really motivational, since he told us that he only ended up doing what he loves, because his original plans failed. I think that our generation is really afraid of failure, and we often forget to realise, that sometimes a fail means a fresh start, and an opportunity to think about what we really want to get from life, and his speech emphasised this really good.”
“Dr. Abdelghani discussed the trials he faced in pursuit of his goals, emphasizing the necessity of failure and adaptability in achieving success. This philosophy aided him throughout his medical career, during which he served as president of the Clinical TMS Society, an organization dedicated to exploring innovative treatments for depression. He currently runs a private clinic in London specializing in advanced treatments for depression.”
“Another thing that grabbed my attention, was the psychological subject, as I am currently reading a book about these exact topics. It's a great coincidence that a doctor who specialises in the treatment of depression, ADHD and TMS treatment came at the time when I was exploring these subjects. It was intriguing to hear about these from a great expert in the field, not just read a book. It was also interesting that while in my book (which was published a few years earlier) TMS is considered a new technique, he said it is widely used nowadays.”
“Dr. Abdelghani talked about his life, and how he ended up in Hungary: he said his grades in Egypt weren’t good enough to get into medical school, so he found this opportunity to study abroad, and get better points in a different school system, He told us that he had a pleasant experience during the 1 year he studied in Pécs, and that he has very fond memories about the school and its teachers. He mentioned his struggles to achieve his goals, but he said that he believes that in order to achieve something we must fail first, and learn how to be flexible. This mindset helped him during his career as a doctor, for a period of time he was the president of the Clinical TMS Society, which researches different ways to heal people with depression. Nowadays, he has his own private clinic in London, which treats depressed people with new technologies.”
“The conversation later shifted to topics like adult ADHD and depression. Dr. Abdelghani’s remarks on ADHD were particularly striking; he believes that many people experience ADHD during their youth without realizing it, as their mental capabilities evolve over time. However, those who do not overcome it may face significant challenges later in life.”
“He also told us about his job as a psychiatrist, and about how and why he specialised in depression and adult ADHD. He told us some really interesting things about these mental disorders, so we got to understand them better, and he even talked about some scientific factors, but the way he presented these things was not childish yet comprehendible. He talked about how ADHD medicines work, and how depression and ADHD can be related in some cases. He also told us about the various researches aiming to find the best treatment for depression, and how it took a long time for scientists and psychiatrists to find the current most effective way to cure it. We also had some complex and not so complex questions about the topic and he was happy to answer them without hesitation, and in my opinion he did a great job educating us about his career and these disorders.”
“He told us a little about how many expectations were placed on him, mostly by his parents. His parents wanted him to be a "real doctor", as they both were, and so was his brother. They wanted him to be a surgeon, and yet, even with all this pressure placed on him, he followed his dreams.”
“The part about ADHD was weird. I’m diagnosed with it, and as such, little of it was news to me. It was interesting hearing about it from an outsider’s perspective, though. I just wish the teachers had to listen to it as well. Many of them tend to treat us like lazy idiots and nothing more, or like we’re somehow not trying hard enough on purpose.”
Conclusion
“Dr. Abdelghani's story and insights are truly motivational, resonating not only with aspiring medical professionals but also with anyone interested in personal and professional growth. I am deeply grateful for the chance to interact with such an inspiring figure.”
“I think Dr. Abdelghani is a very inspiring person for everyone, not just for people who want to be a doctor, because his views on life can be universally adopted and used. It was great to see that my friends who have absolutely no interest in medical issues, became very enthusiastic and asked loads of questions about ADHD and depression. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to talk with him.”
“To sum up I really enjoyed his presentation and I found it very inspirational. I came out of there with a lot to think about. I’m glad we had this lesson.”
“All-in-all, I feel like I gained a lot from our lesson with Dr Abdelghani. His story and presence were truly inspirational and something that will stick with me for a long time.”
“In general I would say that we were able to learn a lot from him and he also managed to give us hope that our future is something that we do not have full control over, but that is absolutely normal and okay. I really hope that he will visit us another time and we can talk about the things we did not have time to discuss this time.”
“On the whole, I was very excited to meet Dr Abdelghani. His work is very inspiring and motivating for many of us. I hope I can meet him again one day.”
Class of 11. B
