Dr Omar Faruque and Dr Afsana Habib are two medical graduates from Chittagong Medical College, graduating in 2001 as the 35th batch. As new graduates and newlywed, it was difficult for them to find work in Bangladesh where they could work together. They did not want to live away from one another, and thus made the decision to migrate to Australia in hopes of building a successful career in an environment where they could live together, work together and raise a family together.
They arrived in Sydney, Australia in 2003, where Dr Faruque initially completed his graduate diploma in STD and HIV research. To support his studies, Dr Afsana Habib worked part time a cardiac technician. Dr Faruque soon joined as a cardiac technician to support one another.
In 2004, the couple applied for permanent residency, which was granted in 2005. By 2006, they had completed the required exams for medical registration in Australia, and began a new chapter of their career as doctors at the Royal North Shore Hospital in 2007. In 2008, with their 5 year old daughter, moved to Canberra to being residency at Canberra Hospital. They were to stay in Canberra until 2009, where they moved to Perth and where I had the pleasure of meeting them for the first time.
In 2009, I received a phone call from Dr Faruque. At this stage, I had never known him before. He got my number from a mutual friend, and asked for help to find rental accommodation. I told him to stay in my home until he found his own place. Whilst unpacking their suitcases, I noticed the sheer amount of medical textbooks they were carrying with them. Upon asking about them, Dr Faruque replied that it was both his, and his wife’s goal to become a consultant specialist in Australia, and to do that would require hard work, perseverance and long-term commitment.
I remember further down the line, before one of our daily walks we would do for excercise, Dr Faruque said to me that he didn’t feel like becoming a specialist anymore and wanted to go down the path of a GP, which would be less strenuous. He was worried he couldn’t manage the balance between raising his family (now with the addition of another daughter), and the intense workload of his job. I told him to come to my home for some dinner, to relax and that we would talk about it after.
I told him after dinner that nobody ever pressured him to want to become a consultant. It was his own desire all along. I told him to go back, work hard and work towards fulfilling the goal he and his wife both set themselves before coming to Australia. If he needed any guidance, I said he should talk to other consultants, as they, and only they know exactly what it is like to be a consultant.
They both persevered, and I am happy to state that by 2015, they both completed their fellowship exams, and by 2018, Dr Omar Faruque received his fellowship in Oncology (cancer specialist) and by 2019, Dr Afsana Habib received her fellowship in Geriatric Medicine (specialist for the elderly). This is a big achievement for the Bangladeshi community, and I hope their story motivates more junior doctors to not be discouraged from migrating to Australia. Yes the journey will be tough, and yes it will require hard work – but it can be done. I am immensely proud of the work Dr Omar Faruque and Dr Afsana Habib have done. I hope that they are proud of themselves, not only because they have raised a beautiful family and achieved a lifelong goal for themselves, but have also been excellent role models for all Bangladeshis.
