It took seven months for Ola to able to find a place to practice medicine at Petrus hospital in Bonn. She fled the ongoing war in Syria, with her first safe place being Jordan. Due to an increase in expenses there, she then left for Germany. In an interview with Infomigrants, she confirmed that that it was not easy living in West Germany. There are a lot of doctors there, which makes it harder to find a job there in comparison to East Germany, but Ola was accepted to work at five hospitals out the original fifty that she applied for. “In my experience, a written letter is the first step to getting an invitation to an in-person interview, which you will be then notified of via email” advised Ola to those who want to a get a training position at a hospital. Ola was competent in her training at the Petrus hospital, but she didn’t get a work contract due to the fact she was pregnant. “It was a difficult period to stay at home until I gave birth. Being at home kept me from practicing my profession and practicing the German language” said Olaa. Challenges Ola continued to send letters to other hospitals during her pregnancy so that she could get another training opportunity. This was another challenge. “It was difficult to have to leave my newborn at home, as my daily routine consisted of being away from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon“, she said. She also mentioned that support from her husband and neighbors were crucial to her success during this time. After she completed her training session she managed to get a work contract at a hospital in Bonn. “I didn’t expect to get a job because I’m wearing a headscarf, but I have noticed that this has not had any negative influence on how others treat me”, she added Although many newcomers arriving in Germany face a struggle learning the language, in Ola’s case she managed to master the language in a short amount of time. In the beginning, the language was completely foreign to her, but her determination led her to grasp the foreign text on her own. She learned the vocabulary by herself online. One of the words she had trouble saying was “Entschuldigung,” the German word  for “Pardon” in English. “This is a word that takes a long time to learn how to pronounce correctly”, she added. In spite of her challenges with the language, Olaa managed to get a B2 certificate just learning by herself. “I didn’t expect to pass this level all by myself because I was studying infrequently while raising my child.” she said. She later even managed to reach the C1 level. When asked whether even this level is good enough to work in the medical profession in Germany, Ola answers: “Mastering a language demands personal effort. In my opinion, language courses are not enough.  While at my work at Petrus hospital I mastered the medical language by reading the reports of patients and thus memorizing the medical terminology. In the end, Ola emphasizes following the advice that her friend gave her: “the key to working in Germany is the proficiency in the language.” Her friend’s advice had a big role in encouraging her to master the language. “The Germans love their work and their country. I owe them all my respect and appreciation.” Ola concluded. First published March 10, 2017 Translated from Arabic by Wesley Dockery