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A Desi Wedding, Explained for my American Friends
I was recently in Peshawar to attend my younger brother’s wedding. It was a long time, more than a decade since there was a wedding in my family, so everybody was excited, including myself. After...
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A Moment of Shame for a Pakistani Doctor
This article was published in The Friday Times on March 7, 2023. Should you choose to read it at the newspaper website, please click here. “A good doctor has to wear three hats. That of a clinician, a...
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Ruminations of a Seasoned Oncologist
No matter what kind of work you do, you likely take a break for coffee or lunch. This is a time when you catch a casual moment with your colleagues. Although this moment is meant to break the monotony...
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What are your Dog’s Pronouns?
There were times when Latin or Sanskrit were the most widely spoken languages around the world. Today, that claim goes to the English language. When I was growing up in Pakistan, we used to speak Urdu...
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Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned
Some lines that you read or hear get stuck in memory without any good reason. From teenage years of reading Sidney Sheldon books, the phrase “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” has been etched...
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Lucky the Duck
There is no news that one can hear about oneself that is more dreadful than being told that you have cancer. The mind shuts down for a few minutes. No matter what the doctor is saying, the words do...
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I Heard You Got Divorced? Congratulations!
Two women in their thirties meet unexpectedly at a gathering and realize that they are seeing each other after fifteen years. The last time they spent time together was when they were in high school....
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The Hand From Behind the Curtain
It is almost approaching two decades since I have worked at this hospital. This is where I grew up as a physician. After my home, I have spent most hours of my life within these walls and walking...
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My Father Wanted to be a Crow, I Want to be an Ant
Note to reader: This is a longer essay that will be best enjoyed if you take your time to read it rather than a quick scroll. Think of it more as a book chapter rather than an internet meme. You also...
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Fatima
“Today is a special day Emily. Maybe one of the most important days of your life.” I tried to conclude the clinical encounter. After giving her scientifically derived percentages of prognosis of her...
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A Gift from Gloria to Rabia
The house that I live in is an old house. It was built in 1939. It is in one of the older neighborhoods in town. Most people that live here are older in age and have been living here for decades. The...
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A Doctor and His Daughter on Becoming a Doctor
My grandfather could not read or write. Still not so unfortunate to be unable to send his children to school. He moved them from the village to the city and put them in a school. Not only did he give...
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