# foreign students from USA



## slickwick100 (Jul 9, 2008)

Hi all,

My name is waqas and I will be starting my First year at SIMS in Lahore this winter. I grew up in USA, but have visited pakistan on and off since i was young. I was wondering how many others are in my position: grew up in USA but are starting their medical school studies in pakistan. I am quite anxious as to the upcoming journey and wanted to hear others' thoughts/take on this experience. Also, if there is a good group of us, maybe it might be a good idea to link up and get to know each other once we get settled in pakistan.. looking forward to hear what you guys think. d 

-Waqas


----------



## kuchwa (Oct 20, 2007)

i am going to punjab medical college faisalabad.i have spent part of my life in the uk and part of my life in pakistan.
i would advise u to keep a low profile at ur med school.some people do not like foreigners in the light of war against islam.

how is you urdu?


----------



## studentofmed (Sep 12, 2008)

that's absolute rubbish. judging by his name, he is probably of pakistani origin (so he would'nt be considered a 'foreigner') and no one is going to hold his place of upbringing against him though they may have much to say about the place itself. in fact, from my own experience people are actually quite awed by you if you grew up 'abroad' and some will even try to copy your ways, or at least the way you talk.
even if you were, say, caucasion, the chances of your being harmed are incredibly slim. so stop scaring people, kuchwa


----------



## kuchwa (Oct 20, 2007)

dear student of med

firstly i havent denied i am of pak origion (living abroad).

all i am saying is it may not be a good idea to look special


----------



## Smeer (Jan 29, 2006)

I think you're in the same boat as I was (and probably still am), slickwick.

For the time being, you don't have much to worry about. If you've visited Pakistan on and off you'll know what to look out for and what things are/aren't available here that you have in America. It's all about adjustment but if you've been here before that shouldn't be too big of a problem.

I think your biggest challenge will be studying and getting used to the system here, but even that's not impossible. It's something you'll get used to and get better at with time. Nothing you can really prepare for while you're over there.

In terms of getting together with other foreign kids, sounds like a great idea to me. Unfortunately there hasn't been an real effort to that for the kids in Lahore at the moment, but I think it would help to kind of share our problems/concerns and talk things out.

As far as fitting in -- it shouldn't be a problem in Lahore. Just be yourself. Don't be cocky or arrogant. I mean, just common sense things that you should practice anyway. Be humble and obedient towards all your professors/demonstrators and no one will say anything. That's really nothing to worry about despite what others might say.


----------



## so_soon (Jun 18, 2008)

kuchwa said:


> dear student of med
> 
> firstly i havent denied i am of pak origion (living abroad).
> 
> all i am saying is it may not be a good idea to look special


hahahaha....who said they were coming here planning "to look special"?
ive never met someone in pakistan who thought that anyone who's lived in the us is involved in the "was against islam". 

some people might be hostile, but its usually cause theyre jealous so you might have to go out of your way to be extra nice and prove that youre not condescending. theyd love to assume that you look down on them so they can have a real reason to dislike you. but i think that shouldnt be a serious problem, like studentofmed said, most people are just curious.


----------



## kuchwa (Oct 20, 2007)

not looking specail means



Smeer said:


> Don't be cocky or arrogant. I mean, just common sense things that you should practice anyway. Be humble and obedient towards all your professors/demonstrators and no one will say anything. That's really nothing to worry about despite what others might say.


 
some people not all are likely to have anti american sediments. foe's friend can be seen as friend by some people.religion does come into the picture.

but these are very minor issues, overall pakistan is a nice place in terms of gup shup and enjoyment.


----------



## maik7upurz (Feb 28, 2006)

polish up on your urdu, try to keep as low as a profile as possible, definitely make up a fake story about yourself and your family to throw people off, many foreigners i know do that specially if you dont seem paki-enough to people here they hate anything different, you have to blend in as much as possible, act like they do, study like they do. 

as for the story, if your urdu isnt good just say your dad lives in saudi arabia and you spent most of your childhood there etc but you grew up in your village till you were 5 etc or something. they dont consider saudi pakis here real foreigners for some reason but usa or canada no matter how paki you are they hold it against you.

best of luck and memorize your cover story good!


----------



## Smeer (Jan 29, 2006)

maik7upurz said:


> polish up on your urdu, try to keep as low as a profile as possible, definitely make up a fake story about yourself and your family to throw people off, many foreigners i know do that specially if you dont seem paki-enough to people here they hate anything different, you have to blend in as much as possible, act like they do, study like they do.
> 
> as for the story, if your urdu isnt good just say your dad lives in saudi arabia and you spent most of your childhood there etc but you grew up in your village till you were 5 etc or something. they dont consider saudi pakis here real foreigners for some reason but usa or canada no matter how paki you are they hold it against you.
> 
> best of luck and memorize your cover story good!


Or better yet, just be yourself. You have nothing to worry about, especially in a city as diverse as Lahore.


----------



## studentofmed (Sep 12, 2008)

low profile shmofile.


----------



## kuchwa (Oct 20, 2007)

if some people feel jelous of u let them be so, in general people will try to be friends with u, enjoy dual benefits

even the most anti american or anti western wouldnt refuse the oppertunity to come the the west it they had it


----------



## soursugar (Dec 31, 2006)

hey guys im a foreign student also. i started med school last year so ill be going to 2nd year this year... here's wat i have to say about 1st year

first n foremost! be neutral, be nice, try to blend in and DO NOT rub it into anyones face that your foreign!

be ready to experience everything, good and bad... you'll be homesick A LOT! at times you'll want to run away, it will take a time to adjust to the teaching system, college and pakistan itself. whether you make good friends sooner or later depends purely on your luck but yea i would say if your foreign do become friends with other foreign kids cuz when your having problems they'll be going thru the same things too so you'll have someone to talk to n share your feelings with. luckily there are about 6 of us girls who are from the states so we became good friends from day 1 so i didnt have any social adjustment problems... ALSO try to be friends with the local kids too,some of them will turn out to be great friends also they're great to get help from regarding how to study and other things as they live here n noe how the system runs. Dont make enemies ever! you dont want to be the snobby foreign kid who doesnt get along with ppl... just keep to yourself and dont pick fights, it will be hard since some people will try to bring you to that level, but just play it cool and DO NOT care about what anyone says about you... remem they're jealous most of the time and they cant ever understand what/where you come from... also keep in mind your here to get an education, you just want to get your degree n get outta here ASAP so dont give into the pity things

seriously 1st year is the hardest but its NOT impossible. just keep it in mind that every foreign student has n will go thru the same experience. things will start becoming easy by summer holidays. but yea do not let your emotions come in the way of ur studying, no matter how bad things get try to pass all tests, you dont want adjustment problems WITH academic problems... iA by the end of ur first year you'll be thinking 'this is a piece of cake!"

hope this all helps and good luck with everything

so what colleges are guys going to?


----------



## Smeer (Jan 29, 2006)

soursugar said:


> hey guys im a foreign student also. i started med school last year so ill be going to 2nd year this year... here's wat i have to say about 1st year
> 
> first n foremost! be neutral, be nice, try to blend in and DO NOT rub it into anyones face that your foreign!
> 
> ...


Excellent advice! Based on my experience at a government college, I would say this summarizes it really well.

I'm finishing up my first year at KE in Lahore. What college are you at?


----------



## zulara (Sep 26, 2007)

Also being a foreigner from the states I can tell you from personal experience the best things you need to get through time here are humility and perspective. I would agree that brushing up on your urdu is quite helpful- I was born in Lahore but moved to the US at a very young age so my urdu is definitely not great and I clearly speak with an american accent so its clear from the second that I open my mouth that I am a foreigner but I would just suggest to take things in stride. Yes people have made fun of me and things have been tough at times but honestly the majority of people are just curious about foreigners and although they may express it in a different way which may come off as rude or tough to handle I would definitely suggest to realize that people react in different ways to things that are different or new to them. Some kids will never have had the opportunity to interact with foreigners and wont quite know how or may do it in a way that is offensive to you but you should just realize that at some point we are all in the situation that we are different. If you took these kids and brought them to the US wouldnt there english be different and wouldnt they speak with an accent? So just take their comments and joking with a sense of humility and realize that no one is special or above someone else but the cliche is true and that people are different. I also think a lot of the negative comments and the bad experiences that foreigners have here are due to stereotypes of foreigners that have developed and have infused themselves into society. Most people think that foreigners are snobby and think money can get them anything and believe that they are above everyone else but I truly think that if you act like a normal person and show people that we are just trying to make it through the day without a supply also their opinions will change quickly and you will be surprised by the types of people that you befriend. 

Also as for the professors, yes most have the mentality that foreign kids are spoiled and are not interested in studying and just want to use money to get themselves through the system but again here if you just focus on studying and trying to do best and show that you do not want to be treated any differently than anyone else their minds change as well and I have found that once many professors get past this initial stage they are extremely helpful and friendly. 

The cliche also goes for the entire experience in Pakistani medical colleges. I think too often people compare the standards or the experience to that in the US but you really honestly cant. Yes we compare it because we need something to describe it and the US is all many of us have known but its too different to compare. And i think once you just concede to the fact that its different and put things in perspective that you are here to get through medical school you will be able to get through things easier. I would also add that a lot of people keep emphasizing the fact that we just need to get through 5 years and then get out of here asap but I also think that its important to think about the fact that it is 5 years of our lives and we should also take the experience for what it is. Yes it is about the greater goal of becoming doctors but I know that from my personal experience one year has changed me a lot as a person and I know that from bombings to electricity shortages to a rickshaw driver trying to convince me money grows on trees in america I think I know how to handle things better (not to mention speak urdu better!). So maybe we should also appreciate the little victories also that come along with an mbbs degree.

Congrats and good luck to all those who got an admission this year and good luck also to everyone trying to make it through prof season!


----------



## slickwick100 (Jul 9, 2008)

thanks for all the responses. each has some advice that i know will undoubtedly help me in some way...


----------



## Smeer (Jan 29, 2006)

zulara said:


> I would also add that a lot of people keep emphasizing the fact that we just need to get through 5 years and then get out of here asap but I also think that its important to think about the fact that it is 5 years of our lives and we should also take the experience for what it is. Yes it is about the greater goal of becoming doctors but I know that from my personal experience one year has changed me a lot as a person and I know that from bombings to electricity shortages to a rickshaw driver trying to convince me money grows on trees in america I think I know how to handle things better (not to mention speak urdu better!). So maybe we should also appreciate the little victories also that come along with an mbbs degree.


#yes

I couldn't agree anymore. Five years is a long time -- and just as much (probably even more so) than being exposed to medicine, you're going to be exposed to Pakistan. You're going to see a lot. It's going to change you. Appreciate the experience for its entire value, not just the fact that you're going to medical school. It'll help put things into perspective and give you more value for your time here.


----------



## dr.usmanzakir (Sep 2, 2008)

hey there waqas. im usman zakir shaikh in second year SIMS(now going to third year). im from saudi , i know some foreign kids in first year that'll be great freinds with you in SIMS (i also know sameer, met up with him at Gloria jeans! dont know if he remembers) anyways, great to hear you got in , be looking forward to meet you and give you advice on anything. hope we could talk about stuff here but i'm too busy rite now, i've got my profs going on. anyways, hope you have a great time in SIMS!! salam !:happy: usman zakir


----------

