Main description:

Through fourteen years of work as a surgeon in Erbil, Iraq, Amir Al-Dabbagh built a sense of genuine trust and friendship with his patients, the society of Erbil, his colleagues, and students in the city, a feeling that continues to inspire him to return to the city, and record his experiences in this memoir.
Amir Al-Dabbagh started his medical career in 1970, graduating from Mosul and working in Iraq for six years before a period practicing medicine and surgery in the UK. After being forced into leaving Iraq in 1993, Amir continued working in the UK at Trafford General Hospital and the Manchester Royal Infirmary. His career has been one of patient care and student training, as a consultant surgeon and dean of a medical college in Erbil through peace and war.
This memoir is a collection of thoughts and experiences of the medical profession through times of war and inner turmoil, fleeing as a refugee and collected wisdom on undergraduate and postgraduate training as well as good practice in patient care and surgery. The author reflects on the importance of family and friends and a genuine love of Erbil and Iraq, a beautiful country overflowing with history and welcoming people.
Ultimately, nothing would have forced him to leave Erbil but the direct threat on his life.
Also included is an account of Dr Waleed Khalid's practice in Baghdad, as consultant cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon during the Iraq-Iran War and the First Gulf War, providing another interesting perspective on striving to care for one's patients as a surgeon in turbulent times. Dr Waleed's perseverance to build the first cardiothoracic and vascular unit in the north of Iraq was fraught with many obstacles, which he clearly highlights in his account.

Contents:

Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part One Family Relocation, Work and Life; Chapter 1 Forced Departure from Erbil; November 1993; Chapter 2 Life and Work in Istanbul; Chapter 3 Immigration to Canada; Chapter 4 Back to England; Part Two Back in Time, Initial Training and Work, From Baghdad to the United Kingdom; Chapter 1 Early Surgical Training 1974-1976; Chapter 2 The First Four Years of Working in the UK, 1976-1980; Chapter 3 Returning to Baghdad, Iraq, March 1980; Part Three Settling in Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq; Chapter 1 Early Years in Erbil; Chapter 2 The Fruits of Hard Work and Dedication; Chapter 3 Expansion of the Surgical Department, 1981-1984; Part Four Working During the Iraq-Iran War, September 1980-August 1988; Chapter 1 Surgery Near the Front Lines; Chapter 2 Compulsory Military Training of all; University Staff; Chapter 3 Hours in the Shelter in our Backyard; Part Five Educational, Family and Office of the; Dean Commitments; Chapter 1 Transfer of the University of Salahuddin; to Erbil 1982 - Undergraduate Education; Chapter 2 Marriage and Family Growth; Chapter 3 Appointment as Dean of the Medical; College, 1989-1993; Part Six The First Gulf War and Forced Departure; to Iran, January-March 1991; Part Seven Choice of a Career and Medicine; Chapter 1 Dedication to work, as Inspired by; My Father; Chapter 2 Career Aspiration and Inspiration; Part Eight Lessons Learnt the Hard Way - Dedicated Mainly to Medical Students and Doctors in Training; Chapter 1 Post-operative Complications -; All Surgeons, all Grades are bound to face; them; Chapter 2 Communication, Communication and Communication; Chapter 3 Language Barrier in Communication; Chapter 4 Doctor's Health; Chapter 5 Medical Education, Society and Professionalism; Chapter 6 Increasing Public Awareness; Final Part: Conclusions and Reflections; Great Verses from the Holy Kuran and the Holy Bible; Dr Waleed Khalid; Introduction to the Author