Key Points
- Dr Joseph left behind six years of medical studies.
- Fearing death, her family decided to flee Iraq.
- To continue studying medicine in Australia was the biggest challenge.
Fleeing Iraq
Dr Mariam Joseph's journey to becoming a geriatrician was marked by turmoil and danger.
She was in her last year studying medicine at Baghdad University when the US-led coalition began bombing the city in 1991, forcing her to flee to Kirkuk to be with her family.
Meanwhile, her two younger brothers were sent to Kuwait by the Iraqi army, only to be reunited with the family when thousands of soldiers deserted and returned home.
The family's troubles continued as the government waged war against the Kurdish people in the north and they were forced to flee again when a bomb hit their house. Luckily, no one from the family was hurt.
In your life, you might be slowed down by many hurdles, but you must never give up hope.Dr Mariam Joseph
They travelled through the mountains of northern Iraq, facing hardship and danger until they reached Turkiye and settled in a refugee camp.
After a few months of changing camps in Turkiye, the family managed to rent a small unit in Istanbul until they were granted a refugee visa to Australia.
Coming to Australia
Dr Mariam Joseph overcame trauma and suffering as a refugee to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor.
Despite lacking documentation of her six-year medical education in Iraq, she received some of her essays and notes from friends. She was able to impress an academic panel with her medical knowledge.
However, the Australian medical education system prevented her from continuing in her sixth year. She was advised to study English, take the HSC exam, and apply to start medical school in the first year.
Although initially disappointed, Dr Joseph persisted and researched how to pass English tests, encouraging her sister Diana (now a pharmacist) to do the same.
Both sisters passed the language test and were accepted to study at the university, with Dr Joseph starting from the third year due to her previous medical education.
In part two of this podcast, Dr Joseph will discuss her journey to becoming a geriatrician and the efforts she made to establish the Assyrian Australian Medical Association.
