The Art of Success | Dr. Nezar Bahabri | TEDxAGS Youth

Quick Overview

Dr. Nezar Bahabri achieved success, culminating in becoming the CEO of eight hospitals, by enduring 21 years of continuous setbacks, including failing medical school initially, which he attributes to the core principles of patience, continuous trial and error, punctuality, strong family support, and unwavering faith in God.

Key Points: Dr. Bahabri was expelled from medical school in his third year after receiving continuous warnings, requiring nine years plus an internship (totaling 10 years) to graduate when the standard was six years. When he revealed to his father that he was expelled, his father’s immediate response was solution-oriented: "لا وقت للعتاب الوقت فقط لايجاد الحلول" (There is no time for blame, only time for finding solutions), leading to his reinstatement. He spent 15 years trying to get a scholarship to Canada and failed exams until he finally succeeded, accumulating six or seven certifications and winning an award for best doctor in Canada, which no one from his country had won in 15 years. One doctor advised him against surgical specialization, stating, "الكونكشن اللي ما بين مخك وما بين يدك غير موجود" (The connection between your brain and your hand is non-existent). Dr. Bahabri identifies the five essentials for success as: patience (الصبر), trying/resilience (تحاول), punctuality (ايز اون تايم), strong family and social support (العيله), and faith in God (الله سبحانه وتعالى). He emphasizes that people will talk about you regardless, citing an example of Imam Al-Muaiqly receiving 62,000 dislikes on a Quran recitation video, urging focus on positive outcomes: "اذا انت كنت بتنجح دائما لطالع الاشياء اللي انت كويس فيها" (If you are succeeding, always look at the things you are good at).

Context: This TEDx talk, delivered by Dr. Nezar Bahabri, recounts his arduous journey to professional success, beginning with his early struggles in medical school in 1990. The narrative centers on overcoming repeated academic failures, being expelled, and enduring a decades-long process of re-qualification and specialization, contrasting his initial difficulties with his eventual high-level achievements, such as becoming a CEO of multiple hospitals.