Surgeon Faiz Muhammad Khan

My family belongs to India. My younger sister and I were born in a place called Rajkot which is in Rajasthan. Then when I was young, we migrated to Pakistan, precisely, Hyderabad. In school I topped in matriculation examination. Then I also cleared Inter-Science with good marks. At that time I also used to play cricket, in fact I was an ardent cricket lover, which I still am. Then I went to England to study further. Here, I was so used to passing all exams with good marks that when I flunked in FRCS exam, I was really taken aback. Then I gave a driving test to get a license and failed that as well. So I had a very low morale in the very first few months that I spent there in England. Then I was supposed to go to the USA to study further but some of my friends suggested that I go for cricket because I was better in that field. They suggested that I also take a diploma so that I can tell every one at home that I have done something at least in the time that I spent abroad. So I took up a job in New York and studied for the DLO diploma at the same time. By the Grace of Allah Almighty I cleared that exam, so I thought at least I would able to show my face to friends and relatives in Pakistan.

Few days after that I went to Edinburgh and appeared for the FRCS part I exam again and this time cleared it. Then I went to America and did a four year internship that we call residency there and then gave another exam there in 1969 there, cleared it and gave the Fellowship exam in America and thankfully passed that as well. So I had American Fellowship, British Fellowship and Edinburgh Fellowship, all three. In the meanwhile then, I also applied for plastic surgery and did a training of four years and then came to Pakistan.

After coming to Pakistan my father got me married to a lady who was my classmate. I continued my training in plastic surgery even after marriage. It had just been six weeks since I had cleared my plastic surgery exam that there was an emergency situation in which I was needed. There was a massive fire at Hajj and they were calling plastic surgeons among others to help. I also applied for it. I was asked various questions like what languages I could speak. I told them I could fluently speak the language that they speak in India and Pakistan and also some of their regional languages. I also told them I could speak in Arabic also, although the only Arabic I knew was how to read the Holy Quran. The interviewees were so impressed that they made me the head of the team that was being sent to Saudi Arabia. There not only was I recognized as a Pakistani who was heading a team of English doctors, I also got good exposure to the work I was going to pursue in future.

At that time Prime Minister Bhutto had visited Shah Faisal of the Holy Kingdom. There some renowned Pakistanis were invited for a dinner in which in was included too. The PM shook hands with me and commended me on the work that I was doing to I was highly motivated. Six weeks after this incident I was invited to come back to Pakistan and start a department of plastic surgery in Jinnah Hospital, which I accepted. Even though I was highly qualified and had some experience too the salary being paid was very low as compared to what I was getting abroad. But working in your own country gives you immense satisfaction