Alireza Sanjar, who came to Armenia from Iran, is a fifth-year student of the Faculty of Stomatology of Yerevan State Medical University.
The 25-year-old future maxillofacial surgeon entered the Medical University in 2018, and after completing the preparatory course in 2019, he started studying at the Faculty of Stomatology. He is an active member of the Student Parliament. 3 years ago, Alireza founded the Research Department as part of the Student Parliament. He is also a member of the Scientific Council of the University.
– Why do you want to become a doctor? Was that your dream? Or would you like to change something?
– Since I was a child, as I grew up in a family where most of them are medical staff, I dreamed of becoming a doctor, but I must mention that along with this dream, I also had a great interest in flying and I still do.
For this reason, I attended pilot training courses and advanced to the first stage, which is called PPL Private Pilot License, after which I immigrated to Armenia.
– What do you feel are the good and bad points about being a doctor?
– The good point of our work and all medical staff is that we can treat the biggest problem of every person, which is illness, and give new life to our patients. But on the exact opposite point, seeing people’s pain and discomfort is the negative and sad point of our job.
– How did you decide to become a dentist?
– As I mentioned, I was very interested in becoming a doctor since childhood, and from that time I decided to choose maxillofacial surgery as my specialty, because in addition to treating and relieving pain, I can give patients beauty, because the face is the first part that every person cares about his/her beauty. For this reason, I chose the field of dentistry.
– Why did you choose Armenia and YSMU for your further education?
– The reason why I chose Armenia to study medicine was first of all its proximity to Iran so that I could easily visit my family. I researched about YSMU and found that it is the best medical university in Armenia that can provide a bright future for students, that is why I chose YSMU to study.
– How would you describe our country and Armenian people?
– If I want to talk about Armenia, I have to write a book. I came to Armenia when I was 18 years old, and I can say that I did not live in Armenia, but I grew up in Armenia, I grew up both academically and professionally. Along with studies, always I had my business also. I can say that despite the hardships that I went through, I found myself in Armenia.
Currently, the number of my Armenian friends is more than my Iranian friends, and I feel close to them, and I do not feel that I am a foreigner and far from my family.
– Would you like to stay and work in Armenia?
– Armenia is the first home of my independent life. I found independence in Armenia and learned a lot of things, even I can speak Armenian. So why should I leave my home? I like staying in Armenia and serving the patients here, and I will most likely stay in Armenia, and even if 1% I go to another country, I will never cut off my connection with Armenia.
– From your point of view, what makes a good doctor?
– In my opinion, science and experience are two parameters that every doctor should have, but what can distinguish doctors is that we should not look at our job from an economic point of view. Considering the difficult conditions of today’s lives, a good doctor’s priority is to treat the patient, and if he/she finds out that his/her patient cannot afford to pay for his/her treatment, he/she should not stop treating that patient. Humanity should always be a priority in our work!
Author: Tatevik Ghazaryan
Photo: Mari Galstyan
