Ever since she was a kid, Atefe knew she wanted to go into medicine. After watching a TV show about a girl with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Atefe started wondering how she could help people with MS and other conditions. Seeing her budding interest, her mom bought her a doctor’s kit and she loved it.
(Photo of Atefe working in the medical field, just months before her family was evacuated from Afghanistan)
I always like to do things that others will find difficult.
“I felt a strong passion towards the brain and nervous system. Besides, I always like to do things that others will find difficult,” shared Atefe.
Back in Afghanistan, she was in medical school and working at a hospital.
“I planned on continuing my residency in America but I still have to pass the United States Medical Licensing exams,” said Atefe. Atefe first needs to figure out a way to get her transcripts sent to the United States after the Taliban froze any delivery of her transcripts.
With her current immigration status, Atefe is not able to enroll at the University of Minnesota yet.
However, Atefe does not shy away from a challenge. Since arriving in Minnesota in February of 2022, for month Atefe would take the hour-long bus ride to the University of Minnesota to study at their library and meet with a neurosurgeon at UMN who has agreed to mentor her.
Atefe’s family is a part of our Good Neighbor program, and is in friendship with a team from The Grove Church. Ron and Pam, one couple on the team, regularly would give Atefe and her sister, Haniya rides to and from the Maple Grove transit center so they could catch a bus to get to their places of higher education.
Atefe’s sister, Haniya also takes the bus every day to school.
She attends the Minnesota College of Art and Design with aspirations to work in the field of animation.
“Atefe is determined to reach her goals, and Haniya is a champion climber. Haniya got to go to California last summer with Patagonia to climb with other Afghan girls,” said Pam.
I’ve always imagined stepping out of the operating room, telling family members that their loved one is out of danger, and seeing the smiles on their faces
Atefe has already accomplished one of her goals, after months of practicing driving with Ron, Atefe earned her driver’s license in the fall of 2022.
“Ron helped me practice driving a lot. He taught me how to make turns, read signs, and take a more careful approach. He also took me to the driving test. Ron and Pam are really kind, lovely people.”
No longer needing to take such a long bus commute, Atefe plans to focus her time and energy on pursuing a residency in neurosurgery once she is able to obtain the proper documentation. Passing the necessary exams will take a lot of time and money, but she always reminds herself of her greater goal.
“I’ve always imagined stepping out of the operating room, telling family members that their loved one is out of danger, and seeing the smiles on their faces,” she says.
