EGYPT: It is your father’s connections that matter

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

‘This is a very normal incident that could happen in any oral exam,’ the narrator says. ‘A student stood in front of the committee. The examiner asked him to list 8 differential diagnoses for big toe tumors. The guy gave an answer, the examiner asked ‘what else?’, the student gave a second answer, the examiner asked ‘what else?’, the student gave a third, fourth, fifth… answers until he could not say anything more. So the examiner kicked him out and failed him. I think this is real justice.

‘Another student walked in. the examiner asked him ‘how are you dear?’, the student answered ‘I am fine,’ the examiner asked him ‘what else?’, the student said: ‘my father is saying hello,’ the examiner asked ‘what else?’, the student replied: ‘My dad is also telling you happy new year,’ the examiner asked ‘what else?’, the student said ‘My mum is saying hello as well.’

‘As the student answered all questions, the examiner gave him the full mark. Unfortunately, some people use such incidents to claim that there is nepotism in Cairo University’s medical school,’ continues the narrator.

Egyptian Doctors and Medical students have been recently circulating this satirical video that depicts the prevailing nepotism in Egyptian medical schools. For many Egyptian medical students, this is a typical anecdote demonstrating academic corruption.

The first student is an example of the majority of hardworking hopeful doctors who have no connections that would help them score high grades. As to the second examinee, he represents the privileged stratum of students who only need to remind their examiners of their father’s name and connections to pass.

The sarcastic clip is allegedly performed by a medical student who appears alone in the video but cheers and laughers are heard. The video has resonated with many students. On a blog hosting Egyptian medical students, many respondents wrote, ‘This is a very strong video.’ One wrote: ‘I want to invite you to come and see what happens during oral exams and report it to human rights organizations so they can rescue us.’

—Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo

Video: An allegedly Egyptian medical student performing a satirical sketch on academic corruption. The video has been circulating online and in phone messages among medical students and doctors

P.S. The Los Angeles Times issues a free daily newsletter with the latest headlines from the Middle East, the war in Iraq and the frictions between the West and Islam. You can subscribe by registering at the website here, logging in here and clicking on the World: Mideast newsletter box here.