Switzerland Adventures-Acceptance

Me: Good morning Mama, how is your day?

Mother: My day is great, waiting for you so we can take breakfast together

Me: sounds great

While I am preparing the tea my mother like, I checked my email to receive a very nice surprise during that hectic time of finals: 

Dear Candidates,

As per your repetitive request to know the top five nominees based on the assessment scores, kindly find here under the list which was shared with the juries in Basel last month and those are (in no order):

 Mennatallah Mamdouh

Hossam Shahin

 Bassant Salah

 Shaimaa ElSafoury 

 Tarek Mamdouh

Currently we’re waiting for the final decision from Basel that should be communicated towards the end of June with the final top 2 candidates who’ll join the international Campus in Basel.

That was fantastic news, but I still could not be the one of the two candidates,so I decided to go with the flow and wait till June and see how it will work. I  only know Menna among those four names, so I sent her a message; on the other hand, by June, I received a facebook message from Menna that we both are accepted. I opened my E-mail to read: 

It is with great pleasure that we inform you that your application has been accepted. We look forward to welcoming you as a participant at this year's BioCamp event in Basel, Switzerland!

After reading the email, I felt good. Finally, I will join a new Novartis adventure, but this time will be at the European side; at the mother headquarter; Novartis Basel

As we got closer to August, Menna and I prepared for our travel experience, for all travel related preparations were organized by Novartis Egypt perfectly. We were lucky to be accepted, and we were so excited to start a new adventure. We both got our VISA and had a deal to meet at the airport 2 hours earlier. So, I left that day silently, took a bus to Cairo, used a subway to Helioples, and took a Taxi to the airport; a crazy decision I took after I called my friend Mostafa who told me how I can get to Airport using public transportation. 

Finally, Menna arrived wearing a jeans and a red blouse with a lot of luggage. We laughed on our way to the checkpoint; since that time, our trip changed into a radio wave of ups and downs!

Switzerland Adventures-Selection Process

It was a hard time of having very difficult practical final test, Dermatology. I woke up early to study, and I received an email notification on my Ipod I got when I was a student at Fairleigh Dickinson after a fight with my bestie Khadija Alami who used to punish me by not giving me her Ipod during running. I opened the email and started reading carefully.

Dear BioCamp Candidate,

We have the pleasure to advise you that you have been selected among the top twenty candidates who have been accepted to enter the BioCamp initial assessment center taking place this coming Wednesday, 6^th of May, 2015 at the Supreme Council of Universities – inside the Cairo University Campus – close to the main entrance gate.

My mother was extraordinarily happy, and she said its yours anyway, I am not shocked of your acceptance or nomination. After two minutes, I remembered that its the same day of my final, and Cairo is two hours away from home. I called Novartis, Cairo to explain, but it was in vain. The final answer was to come and you will be interviewed first to leave quickly.

I headed to Cairo carrying all Dermatology papers with me to review on my way. I arrived at the exact place earlier. After while, candidates started to come over, and I was lucky to know most of them. There were two girls who worried about me after they knew about my exam, Menna and Noura. Novartis team started to show up to shock me; the Novartis president must deliver a presentation, then lunch break, and later the interviews will be held. What? I said I have an exam in another city? , the two respectful ladies promised to do their best, and they did :after the presentation, they started the interviews so I can arrive earlier to my university. On my way to the interview room, I entered the elevator with four giant men. The biggest told me, you look young, what do you study and I am so happy you came all that way; however, you have finals. I answered Clinical Pharmacy and thank you Mister. The other man asked, what test you have?, so I said Dermatology. 

The elevator opened to realize that they are heading to the interview room; they are the jury members!

I was so nervous but for my test not for my interview, so I entered to finish as soon as I can. Wow! they have my resume and papers.The first question was asked, introduce yourself!. After many questions, the interview ended by: Hossam you travelled a lot, why you always come back?, and I answered my mother and siblings. The second man asked; during the interview, I felt you have amazing positive energy, dont you have any trauma or lose in your life?, so I said, I do, the lost of my father. Hence, I received good luck wishes from the jury. 

I went back to university just 5 minutes before my test after the bus driver decided not to wait to fill all seats because police may come now and he has no licence; it was a credit to arrive on time to college. I did fantastic in my test wishing to pass both the interview and my final.