Wesam Said
My experience
My name is Wesam Said. I come from Palestine and now work as an assistant doctor in dermatology in Germany.
My path here began in 2017, when I came to Germany after graduating from high school to fulfill a long-standing dream: to study human medicine. I pursued this goal with great commitment during my entire twelve-year school years.
My first stop in Germany was Dortmund, where I attended a language school. Even there, I was confronted with considerable financial challenges. As the son of a family of seven, in which three of my siblings were already studying, it was important to me to relieve my family as much as possible. During the language phase, I therefore took a weekend job – despite having very little knowledge of German at the time. The burden was high, and the worry about how I would be able to finance my demanding medical studies later on accompanied me from the very beginning.
These worries were confirmed during his studies. During the pre-clinical phase in Münster, I worked in parallel as a student assistant at the university and the university hospital. The double burden of job and study workload left hardly any time for the normal everyday activities of a young student. I was all the more proud to complete the first state examination in the standard period of study and with a good grade.
Then the Corona pandemic hit me hard too. Many jobs were lost, and my financial situation deteriorated dramatically. During this difficult time, a friend who was himself a scholarship holder of the Dr. Dr. Gerda von Mach Foundation advised me to apply there. Although I had little hope after many unsuccessful scholarship applications, I followed his advice.
In September 2021, during a visit to my homeland, I received the incredibly relieving news: the commitment of the foundation. To this day, I remember the irrepressible joy of my parents. This support changed my life from the ground up. Suddenly, I was able to concentrate fully on my studies for semesters, without existential fears. The financial security enabled me to complete my studies not only without delay, but also with very good grades and at the same time my doctorate in medicine. This has significantly improved my career opportunities.
Without the generous and trusting support of the Dr. Dr. Gerda von Mach Memorial Foundation, none of this would have been possible. I am indebted from the bottom of my heart to Ms. Böttcher and the entire team of the foundation for this unique opportunity."