The Code To Winning - A SYRIAN REFUGEE DOCTOR: A STORY OF HOPE AND NEW BEGINNINGS: GHASSAN SOUID || EPISODE 045

Episode Date: August 3, 2025

In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with Dr. Ghassan Souid, a Syrian refugee who once lived his dream as a medical doctor—only to have it all ripped away by war. Ghassan opens up about his life in Syria before fleeing to the United States, sharing the challenges, heartbreak, and resilience that have defined his journey. A man of deep compassion and unshakable purpose, Ghassan reflects on the emotional weight of leaving his home, his career, and the identity he built as a Doctor.   Despite being highly qualified doctor he’s unable to practice the profession he loves due to laws and few restrictions. Through his words, you’ll hear both the frustration and longing of a man who still dreams of healing others.   The episode also touches on the unbearable personal loss Ghassan has experienced. He recounts the moment his brother was killed by a direct rocket strike—an experience that continues to haunt him. Yet, through it all, his love for medicine has never faded. Ghassan speaks passionately about what being a doctor means to him, and why the call to serve remains alive in his heart.   Above all, this is a story of perseverance. Ghassan honors the hope America has given him and his family, while also challenging the healthcare system to create a path forward for refugee doctors like himself. His story is not just one of pain—it's one of purpose, potential, and a plea for possibility.   This episode is a powerful reminder of the human spirit’s capacity to endure, heal, and rise again. If you've ever doubted your purpose, your path, or the impact of one voice—listen to this.

Here in USA, they have untabbed treasure. You have people with great experience, many years of experience. Maybe 20 years, 30 years, why don't you use them? I have an idea to help. I like medical field, and I want them to go through this way. Medical field is very important because you give. And as I said, happiness comes from giving. Have you ever had a family member or a close friend end up?

like passing on or getting severely injured by those rockets and like and those bombs. This was my brother, my brother, Radwan. He was an engineer, a young engineer, a piece of rocket was hit on his head and he died. It was in the year, 2014. Now with the heart of everything, war, immigration, medicine, identity. Who is the Guzan Suede. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of the Code 2 winning. Insights you need today to seize the world tomorrow. Today we have an amazing guest.

He goes by the name of Gussan Suede. I call him Uncle G. If all men were like unto Uncle G, this would be a world of a better place as well. So really grateful for having him in the studio. I'm super excited to learn about him. He came all the way from Syria to come to the studio today to get an interview with me. Can you believe that? What an amazing privilege.

What an honor to learn from an amazing man that I've met in my time being in the United States as well. So without further adieu, our amazing guest and the ideal gentleman, Uncle G. G. Gusson. How you doing, sir? Good. Nice to meet you here. What do you think of that intro? Good.

awesome stuff let's just get straight into it as well i've always been fascinated by people's journey people's um pursuing um a different lifestyle the american dream as well so obviously you grew up in syria when did you know the time you were in syria that you wanted to become a doctor well it's let's go back about about 53 years ago when um my dad, when my second brother was born, dad said, oh, Lassan will be a doctor, Adnan will be a pharmacist. Then from that time, okay? So now I am a gynaecologist, Adnan is a pediatric surgeon, my second brother.

Okay. This is when I knew about that. And then that was in Syria at that time, like what was the pre-diatorial. How long did you study for when you were in Syria to become a doctor? You study until the high school, you know that. After that, you study six years of medical school. Then you enter directly to the residency. Okay.

Okay. And how long was that in total? Was it like 9, 10 years? It was 10 years. Okay. And you did it in Syria. I know most times, from what I've understood, people often start in Syria. then they end up going to schools like in Egypt or other different places.

You did all your stuff in residency in Syria? Yes, all of that. Okay, awesome stuff. And gyna colleges, which means you gave birth to a lot of children. Yes. Including Abdul, including... Yes, Al-Lin, Omar, Osama. I have to meet Osama.

I haven't met. Osama asked me about one month ago, Dad, will I work with you soon? I said, yes, when you are 18. because now I work with all my sons and daughter Abdulrahman, Lee and Omar and waiting for Usama. Great family, by the way.

Great family, boss, great family. What were the biggest challenges or medical challenges that you faced during your time while you were practicing in Syria, especially now that the countries moved into that conflict? What was a big challenge for you? The biggest challenge was when

you know the roads are cut off no roads many barriers in the roads we have shortage in medical supplies I will tell you

a story one day we have a delivery in the labor room suddenly a rocket struck around about 100 to 100 feet from our clinic.

The glass shattered everywhere, the fearful fear. The woman was afraid of this. We waited about until I checked that after the delivery. when I was sure that the baby and mom are good I send them home you know this fear and where was a rocket coming from was it like a country that was in war with Syria

yes because that is Bashar al-Assad regime he was always sent his airplanes to send the missiles rockets on the people And then, I mean, that sounds like a little intense. And then, because from my experience, when I've been watching, obviously sometimes news can be a little misleading in most cases as well. But for decades from what I've seen,

there's been so much of war happening in the Middle East. More than a decade. Yeah, yeah. And so, but like you being in the medicine or in the medical field, how has that experience been personally for you? How have you ended up seeing patients coming from war? How has that been for you? You know, it was years of fear.

But when you see the patient's recovery, you will be happy. We were fighting against the despair. we're fighting against the suffering around us. Wow. But when you see the smile on the patient and their recovery, you will be good. But has that, did that ever have like emotional weight on you

when you get to see what people are experiencing? Yes, of course. Yes, of course. Yes, of course. you see when the rockets fill on the civilian places, you see the dead bodies cut on the ground. Does that not have like an emotional effect sometimes? Of course you have emotional. It's crazy.

Yes. And was it always like that even though when you were younger or was that just the more recent thing? It was in the decade of the war. Wow. That's intense. When was that moment when you decided, hey, listen, it's time for me and my family to try and pursue a different journey. Let us now go to the United States. When did you decide that?

I had no choice to leave my country. Because, as I told you, the rockets were around us. me and my family and other civilians in my town. One day at six, I remember that day in August 2012. It was about, as I said, 6 a.m. We were sleeping and a rocket fell near us, close to us. So one, Omar, you know Omar. He was a young child.

He was sleeping and when the explosion occurred, he jumped about two meters. I was afraid he will lose his mind. This is one of the causes which pushed me to leave. In addition, you can say that there was doctors, businessmen, who are supposed to have money, were kidnapped to pay ransoms. Sometimes you pay ransom and you were sent as a dead body to your relatives.

So because of that, I was forced to live with my family. Have you ever had a family member or some close friend end up like passing on or getting severely injured by those rockets and those bombs? This was my brother, my brother, Radwan. He was an engineer, young engineer, a piece of rocket. Was hit on his head and he died. It was in the year, 2014.

There are many, many, like my brother, Radoan in Syria. This was the case in my country. I'm sorry to you then. I never I wasn't even aware. He was going to his work in the morning. I know that's the brother that you said you and your when you were born like in the 50s. Your dad said you're going to be that and you're going to be that. No, no, no, no. That my brother Adnan, he is working now in Abu Zabi. That was my maybe eighth brother. So sorry

Yeah, there Condolusness to your family, Uncle G Is that Was that the moment You decided I have no choice I have to leave? No, no, this happened after I left Okay

Because you left 2012 Yes 2012 Okay Awesome stuff And the transition You were a doctor Obviously in Syria

A very good doctor Well-known A lot of experience when you transferred over to the US, you end up just becoming a physician or a nurse. What was the transition like? I work here in a famous medical research company. But I work here in a position less than a nurse.

When I came here, I suppose, or I thought I will work as a doctor or maybe assistant. This is a problem here in the USA. I will tell you something about Dr. Rodolf Nissen. Dr. Rodolf Nissen was a very famous physician in Germany. He came to the USA as a refugee. I think after the

World Second War he was put to be as an assistant although he's a very, very famous and he taught most of the doctors from his books, from his experience. Okay, when he came here

they put him as an assistant for two years. Then he had his own clinic. By occasion he discovered that Albert Einstein has something called in medical, aortic aneurysm, which maybe if it excludes, it will kill the man. He did an operation for him in the year 1948,

and Einstein lived after that for about seven years until he died in the year 1550. So he helped Einstein, the biggest mind in the world. Here in USA, they have untapped treasure. You have

people with great experience, many years of experience. Maybe 20 years, 30 years. Why don't you use them? I have an idea that and an idea to help they may

put the new refugees, doctors with a very great experience under supervision by an American doctor for maybe seven, nine months and he is competent, okay, let's

let him join short programs to be in the American system. This is an idea, and I am sure that the U.S.A. the greatest country in the world, if they want, they will have a solution for this. But then, is there nothing, anything that you can do right now to become a doctor from the system while transferring over?

You should pass two exams and then you will have the residency, which is not suitable for a man like me. Now I am 55. You know that. I need maybe two years or more to pass this exam and residency for maybe four or five years. I will be more than 60.

Wow. It doesn't work. This is good for young doctors. Young doctors, okay. But for the doctors who have a long experience, they should have a solution for that. That makes a lot of sense. My brother-in-law who married my sister,

he's a doctor in South Africa, and like right now he is, I think, doing an additional two years to try and specialize into a certain field now in the medical department as well. And I think I'm now having a conversation with my sister and him a while back, when they have to come to America, they have to take an additional two years

on top of what they have to try and like transfer over with exams and stuff, which can be very discouraging because sometimes like if you're in the medical field, you have made enough effort to gain experience, especially because I think experience comes from years of practicing. Experience is not necessarily writing something out

like A, B, C, D, A, B, C, D. A, B, C, D. That's not expected. This is what I told you. Here in the USA, it's not, it's illogical to bring a high school graduated and ask him to learn the alphabets. It's illogical. After this long experience. I think they can have a solution if they want.

Dr. Zir, like me, are not important. They are part of the solution. If they use them well. And now that's what I was about to say, because doctors are one of those professions that's very, very important. And I often feel sometimes experiences equally or if not important than any other like attribute that's needed for somebody in that specific field

because it's years of practicing. They've done operations. They've given this thing. They've done that thing, especially depending on what somebody has specialized in as well. And what's your suggestion? I know you kind of said program like what other suggestion would you say can be done to try and improve in that field, to try and help people when they come over to still continue practicing. I told you there should be a period under the supervision of American doctors.

Then if they are competent, let them undergo special programs, short programs, to be in the American medical system. So tonight you and I will write a letter to President Trump. Okay. Inshallah. I sent a letter to the... the governor of the state about two years ago

about this but no one replied me maybe he did not say that I recently interviewed the congressman who was for this area he was a politician who works in the house or the Senate or like the House of Representatives

so yeah no we will write something to the governor soon Uncle G yeah 100% I mean, leaving your homeland is something, it's always going to be painful because as much as you can pursue an opportunity somewhere, home will always be home. Like I'm the same way I've been in the U.S. for 10 years or so, but home is always home. What part of you do you carry of Syria every single day besides the delicious food, inshallah? I will tell you what I missed when I am here. I missed my mom's warm hug.

I missed my dad's wisdom. I missed our meeting me and my brothers and sisters on Fridays. I missed the sleeping under the olive trees in my village. I missed the smile. of my patients, I missed their prayers after recovery. I missed all of that. And I carry this in my soul. How often do you go back home?

How often? No. Zero. I left my country in the year 2012. I'm here. I've never been there after that. Family and kids are, yeah, but the rest are in Syria. Do you communicate with them regularly?

Of course. Thanks for the social media, for WhatsApp, for messenger, like this. What message would you say to them right now? I know you speak to them, but like, I know I'm going to try and get lean in them to send them this episode. Like, what's something you'd want them to know? You know? That I am away from there, but I am with them always. Insha Allah.

What were the hardest part about rebuilding not just a career but an identity in a new country? In Syria, to be a doctor, it's a great thing. You are in the central of any event. In Syria, to be a doctor, it carries... a ton of respect to be a doctor because you help people, you provide them for what they need. You know, for me, that will make me happy because for me happiness comes from giving. When I came here, I am working now in a position less than... and hers

and the first I felt it's not good for me but when I remember that there are bells to be bade

it will be okay no I like that and the thing I want to talk about I mean obviously you were a doctor there and you say you know you're less than a how has that helped your interaction with patients now that you actually see them a bit more than a doctor? No difference.

Because to be a doctor, you should be responsible. And here in my work, there is responsibility because we do medical research for new drugs. These new drugs and medication will help people. So I am happy now, although of everything I am happy, I am part of the medical picture.

And do you see yourself doing, what's your goal for the next five years or so, do you see yourself doing the same form of work? No, no, no. I am trying now to do something to improve my CV. Okay, do you want to share that or is it a secret?

Maybe shift career or something. Oh, really? It's still in the medical field? Yes, of course. That's what I know how to do. Because I spent my life in medicine. Okay, now. And you have a passion for it.

One of the things that many people have spoken highly of you because you seem to always involve character, personality and excitement in people in the things that you do and people seem to notice it because of just your aura. How has that like affected relationships with your patients? Here or there? Both. My relationship with the patients is based on respect. It's based on responsibility to give them the best I have. Inshallah. Inshallah.

Inshallah. What advice would you give somebody right now? Let's say they are coming from a different country and they want to try and study school year knowing your experience and what you've done before what advice would you give them? I like medical field and I want them to

go through this way medical field is very important because you give and as I said happiness comes from giving I believe that as well

and I think from the trials or the challenges that I have faced in my life. Every time whenever I face something, you said, you know, the wisdom of my dad always says, listen, if you want to be happy, serve others. Like, give, continue to give.

Sometimes I'm like, I can't give as much as I have, Dad. I can't. Yes, yes, yes. I feel as I am a Ferrari in narrow roads. So you are the Syrian Santa Claus. What do you wish, like the American public, what do you wish they understood a bit more about refugees and immigrants? I tell them that refugees are not numbers.

They have souls, they have skills, they have experience. you should use it well. That's, you know, that's so important because... You have it, Richard, between your hands. And it came to you easily. You did not pay anything for that. You know, I think that's... You look at...

You look at... I used to work. I got two internships in New York. And when I was there, there was a lot of immigration in the Wall Street side, in the big banks. Lots from India, lots from some Africa, lots from Europe as well. And then you go to San Francisco. Same thing there, a lot from like China, Pakistan and so forth.

And that are working in the Silicon Valley, the Facebook, the Google, or Tesla and all the kind of stuff. And what they've got to realize with this H-1B is the fact that as much as there is so much of qualified and skilled people, but also immigrants bring a different kind of dynamic, a different kind of thinking. So together it works perfectly aligned. You know, America is a country of immigrants and refugees. Without them, I think America will go down. Yeah, they add a lot to the economy. They add a lot to skill, skill set as well because without the skill set,

because sometimes people end up outsourcing. They used to find out people would outsourcing. from India, get some work done there because of the skill set when people start learning in mathematics and engineering and stuff like that. And so that skill set is equally important because together it can uplift because you get a different perspective. You understand things differently coming from a different place. You've seen life from the heights of professional respect to trials of re-intervention. What ultimately from the trials of the trial, that you've experienced in your life, what gives you hope?

The thing that gives me hope, that I know the goodness is part of the people's nature, that the future will carry good things for everyone, that the peace will spread around the world. This is what gives me hope. And I think so is why I think I think there's more good people out there

I think people are genuinely have the desire to want to help other people We're all born with that thing That is people's nature It's nature, yeah Hate is something else That's what God created us Because he understands that

We do one in families, we do one in society And we are Social creatures we love interacting and we grow together. Yes, yes. And so in Africa, there's a saying that it takes a whole village to raise one child. In other words, it's saying that if I go somewhere in a village and there's an elderly person, that's my father, that's my father, that's my father.

And if I go somewhere, that's my father. That's what the case in our country. And it's a very important kind of thing because we all raise together as well. That's right. So now with the heart of everything, wall. immigration, medicine, identity. Who is Gussan Suede today? San Suede now is a mixture of the past

which will not be forgotten. A mixture of the trying to find a new meaning of the life. mixture of trying to have new ways new horizons perfect then the last question because my

podcast is called the code to winning when you think of the word winning what does winning mean to you it means for me hard working it means for me

the displeans it means for me to insist not to sleep you should work always so in other words winning means Christian Ronaldo

really I like Missy more than I will tell you really I like to answer your question really I like Missy more than Christian but Christiano is the meaning of hardworking and I think it's very important attribute because sometimes you may not have the natural

skill set or the gift that Allah or God gives you Missy has the nature pure yes he was born with his skills but Christiano made himself and that's what I respect more. Yes, yes. I respect more. Of course, Christian. Thank you very much. But I like Missy Moore. Now I'm going to cut that part out. The co-twinning, it's been a great privilege having Gusama. Like I said, one of the finest people I've ever come across a true champion who defines a character building, who defines ideal gentleman he is just a people's person and he's a light around everyone that comes across

him as well an amazing immigrant story from a person who has faced and has seen a lot of like war and has experienced a lot of tribulations and trial and he has joined us in the studio in sharing that so be sure to tune in and give any feedback you may like in the description section as well so without further ado thank you ladies and gentlemen uncle g gussam the great. Thank you, boss. Inshallah.