[Value of a Dutch medical license in Egypt]

Shortly after moving from the Netherlands to Egypt, the author, a physician, started procedures to get his medical certificate recognized. These procedures began at the Egyptian Medical Association, housed in the Dar al-Hikmah ('House of Wisdom'). The Association first required a comparison between the Netherlands and the Egyptian medical education, to be made by the Supreme Council of Universities. There, the differences between the two systems appeared to be fertile soil for confusion and discussions. After nine months, however, and the translation of all relevant papers into Arabic, the Supreme Council declared the Dutch medical education equivalent to the Egyptian. Now only the permission of the Ministry of Health and Population was required. This Ministry inquired at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whether an Egyptian education would be recognized in the Netherlands, in order for the 'principle of reciprocity' to be applied. The reply of the Dutch Embassy was positive but progress has stopped since. A registration as a physician in the United Kingdom was obtained without problems and in a short time; this registration might be helpful in efforts to resume the process in Egypt.