“I wanted to study pharmacy because I grew up in a home filled with the spirit of medicine and compassion. My late father worked as a nurse for 37 years at Al-Shifa and Al-Aqsa Hospitals. Two of my brothers became doctors, my eldest sister is a laboratory specialist, and my other brother is a radiology and imaging specialist. Surrounded by this medical atmosphere, I felt it was my duty—and my calling—to complete the circle by choosing pharmacy, a field that beautifully combines biology, chemistry, medicine, and the science of drugs in all their intricate details. I knew it would be challenging, but the joy of learning and helping others always outweighed the difficulty.

For me, being a pharmacist means far more than dispensing medications. It’s about educating patients, giving clear instructions, and ensuring they understand how to use their treatment safely. It’s also about innovation—understanding the process of drug production and dreaming of rebuilding what we once had. In Gaza, we had two pharmaceutical factories that were destroyed during the brutal war, yet we continue to dream of restoring that brilliance, of challenging every hardship with resilience and hope.

The medical sciences are among the noblest fields, not only for their knowledge but for their ethics. It is our duty to build a relationship of love and trust with every patient—to speak their language, understand their pain, and reassure them even in the darkest moments. Every patient carries a story of pain and hope, and through them, we learn to bear our own burdens with grace.

We have pledged to remain forever at the service of the sick and the vulnerable—to save a life, or at least to be a reason it continues.”

“And whoever saves one life—it is as if he has saved all of humanity.”

It troubles my soul to see the ailing,
Who complain of sorrow, pain, and despair.
So I walked the path to turn herbs into healing,
And sought from the depths of seas what lies hidden there.
From the venom of serpents we have taken wisdom—
From every illness, we craft a cure beyond compare

Ahmed Younis Shaheen | Pharmacist in the making