Doctor Tania Dabbas is a strong female figure, she is a Project Manager and Medical Advisor at Orthomedics; a company that produces prosthetic devices. She came from Lebanon to work on a project in Egypt where she met her late husband. After her husband’s death, Dr. Tania started from scratch and built her career while raising two girls on her own. After her husband’s passing, Dr. Tania Dabbas moved to the capital so that she would have a better chance at starting her career.
How it Started
At first, Dr. Tania was living a stereotypical life, staying at home raising the kids, and working. However, after her husband’s death, things changed. Tania found herself in a critical position, a single mom with two little girls, in a new city, without any financial support due to the loss of her husband’s business, their house, and their money.
“I took it personally, it was my decision to marry an Egyptian man and to come to Egypt. So even though my parents were financially stable, I wanted to be responsible for my kids,” said Dr. Tania on her move to Cairo
Dr. Tania’s willpower is a huge part of her personality. Back in Lebanon, her family tried many times to get her to come back and live with them rather than staying in Egypt with no valid source of income. Dr. Tania refused to give up and she chose to face life on her own and be fully responsible for the kids.
“All the bank accounts were empty. My first salary was 1k to 3k and I stayed under probation for three months so that the company would decide if I’m going to stay or not,” Explained Dr. Tania
The Journey
Dr. Tania used her medical degree to look for jobs and she eventually landed a job in a German company called Ottobock which is currently under the umbrella of Orthomedics. Dr. Tania had to adjust to the new job because it required a variety of other skills beyond the medical field. Being the strong woman she is, Dr. Tania did not give up.
“I didn’t have experience, I was working day and night and running around like a crazy person. I did my own research. I was working really hard and eventually, I proved myself.”
After one year, the young mother has become fully financially independent. The loss and grief were part of the process, however, Dr. Tania’s strong-willed character made her overcome the obstacles.
“I challenged myself as a woman and as a mother,” added Dr. Tania.
When asked about what motivates her the most, Dr. Tania said “Being a woman”.
“People often have the misconception that I’m tough because of my work, but I have a soft heart and this is exactly why I love my job because I get to help people. When you see people’s stories, it motivates you to help them and you can see that you’re not the only one suffering.” Continued Dr. Tania lovingly
The Challenges of Being a Woman
She believes that women are hard workers, and seeing the impact of her hard work on the people truly inspires her to push further. “It feeds my soul,” said Dr. Tania Fondly.
As a female in a male-dominated field, Dr. Tania faces many challenges.
“Men often refuse to have a female doctor. At first, male patients didn’t want to see me. Thinking that I’m a young woman and for them, that meant that I’m inexperienced.”
Dr. Tania has expressed that she’s been through a lot as a female working in this field. “Men say ‘Why would this woman be in charge of all these branches, why not one of us? They might think that this job needs strength and a mental capacity that women cannot handle, however, it needs mental, physical, and emotional capacity.”, Said Dr. Tania
“I don’t think men have enough compassion and are emotionally expressive enough to handle patients psychologically. Everything comes with love and this job needs lots of love.” She continued
The Future is Female
Along with the challenges within the medical field, Dr. Tania argues that there are not enough women in the field.
“There should be more women in the field,” said Dr. Tania encouraging young girls to focus on their education and study well to prove themselves and work on their degrees.
On the other hand, there is a mental impact of Dr. Tania’s job as she sees different amputation cases of adults and children, but being a strong woman she handles the cases properly. Doctor Tania says: “Either you get depressed or look at examples of how good it turned out for some people.”
“Everything happens for a reason, and I need to cope for my patients.”
When asked about what she wanted her younger self to know, Dr. Tania said “You did it”. She encourages her daughters to work hard and be strong women.
“I raise my kids to be independent, I raise them to be strong. I want them to defend human rights as well as animals too.”
Finally, when asked about what women want, Dr. Tania answered: “To raise their voice” She encourages women to be vocal and speak their minds and fight for their independence.
Dr. Tania is a success story and a role model. She started from scratch and raised her kids after many hardships and misfortunes. Dr. Tania’s story teaches us how to be resilient and passionate even in times when it gets hard to be. Now she is helping children and people as well as raising her daughters. Dr. Tania Dabbas is encouraging all women to be strong and independent.