Hey everyone, it's Hibba. A quick note before we begin, we did some of the interviews for this episode in Arabic, so we produced two versions of this story for you.

The one you're listening to now is all in English, with a voice actor who played our main character, word for word from our interviews together.

The original version, which is bilingual English and Arabic,

you can find on our public podcast channel and website.

Flip through to whichever one you would prefer.

Ready? Let's get started.

I've never been a rebel, spent all my life being good,

following rules, studying while my

friends are playing the street.

For what?

To be a doctor?

Oh yeah, I had my share of fun, but if I knew things would be like that, I would have

probably done things differently.

Now it's been more than two long years since the last time I practiced medicine or even

had a job.

I was a doctor of medicine and general surgery in Ramadi teaching hospital, all kinds

of emergencies and cases.

Best times of my life doing what I love the most, but then everything told me to quit.

Before ISIS took over my hospital, Iraqi government started bombing it.

I think these are clear signs to just leave. I was lucky to escape in the nick of time safely.

This was before we lost hope on Iraq and before we got threatened, but that's another story.

This was in May 2013.

...