Zahridin Mussayev

A 21-year-old student of Asfendiyarov KazNMU, Zahridin moved to Kazakhstan from Uzbekistan. The doctor-to-be is interested in many things and is well-versed in his professional field. Last spring, he won the Yessenov Scholarship, and this summer, he preferred gaining knowledge to rest — English and military training camp. Behind him, he has warm memories from his childhood, and ahead of him is work in a medical institution, internship and residency…

What do you remember most from your childhood?
I was born in Tashkent. As a child, my family and I often visited squares, parks, and we went out on picnics in recreation areas. Every weekend we visited our grandparents in the village, they had their own farm and a small vegetable garden. I still remember all this with a special warmth in my heart.

How did it happen that you became interested in medicine and entered such a university?
My grandfather worked as a doctor in the district hospital for more than 30 years. He often told us various stories from his practice. Sometimes he even took me to work with him, where I often saw how grateful the patients were for their help and saving their lives. So almost in the first grade I decided that I would go to medical school and become a doctor, and I would also provide such help.

How and why did you decide to participate in the foundation’s scholarship competition?
Once, at a meeting of the student scientific society, the chairman told us about various scholarship programs. One of them was the Shakhmardan Yessenov Scholarship. I found information about the foundation and the competition on the Internet and I decided to try my luck. I was planning to study a method of non-invasive determination of blood glucose levels, so I could use some additional financial assistance for this purpose.

What was the most memorable part of the competition for you?
During the first round — the creative part: an essay on the topic “What have I done and would do for the science of Kazakhstan?” It was interesting to speculate about this. The second round, although it was held online, was not easy, as I was asked a variety of unexpected questions, but, nevertheless, everything was held as a conversation, and not as an exam. I was asked to solve a problem for logical thinking: there was a certain difficult life situation that everyone could face, and I needed to find a way out of it. I managed to assess the problem fairly, weigh all the pros and cons, and make a decision.

What can you advise the participants of such contests, your peers?
First, do not be afraid and participate: the experience that you will get will be useful in the future anyway. And, secondly, actively participate in various conferences and seminars. There you will have the opportunity to develop your rhetoric and public speaking skills, which is also not superfluous.

What will you do this summer?
I will continue to learn English with a teacher, and this summer we also have military training at the training camp.

What are your future plans?
The next academic year, which starts in the fall, will be my last undergraduate year. After that, I will continue my internship and residency studies. At the same time, having received admission to clinical practice, I want to start working in a medical institution.