Hi, I am Mahmoud. I was born in Egypt of Arabic and Islamic origin but I belong to humanity. I lived in 4 continents and I came in contact with human beings from different ethnic, religious, cultural and social classes.  I believe that mankind is the same everywhere and good nature is always there when you look for it. I also believe there is a child inside every wild man and woman, if you address the child, then you can communicate with the wild and possibly you can make a change.

I have 7 professions: orthopaedic surgeon, teacher, surgical trainer, researcher, editor, manager and poet. Can I do all these contradictory jobs? Yes, because I love them all. Do I have time for that? Yes I do, but with a bit of struggle trying not to encroach on my family time. However, I am still looking forward to make full use of my skills and experiences to benefit the society.

Throughout my life, I gained few characteristics that made me different: I am optimistic because I know from experience that things, which may seem impossible at one time, will be easy to achieve later. I have scientific curiosity which I developed in childhood. I am also self-critic as I spend few minutes at the end of the day for reflection and to review what I did.

I am a humble person and I do not think I am going to change, whatever I achieve and however high my position is. I have a mechanism to keep myself humble. That mechanism always reminds me that I am a weak human being every time I get the feeling that I do an exceptionally good thing: a poem, a surgical operation, a discovery, a revolution or a voluntary work.

Mahmoud A Hafez, FRCS Ed, MD

Professor & Head of the Orthopaedic Unit,

October 6 University,Cairo, Egypt