The first day in March has a double reason for celebrating for Dr Moheb Ghaly OAM - it is not only his birthday, but the day he graduated in Egypt as a doctor.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This year, March 1 marked a momentous 50 years in medicine for the surgeon and staff at Mayo Private Hospital in Taree weren't going to let the day pass without celebrating it.
Having only just finished an operation and cleaning up, Dr Ghaly came down the halls of the Mayo to find himself walking through an applauding guard of honour - a spontaneous show of the respect afforded to him from his work colleagues, some of them still in scrubs from the operating theatre.
The applause was immediately followed by a rendition of Happy Birthday, and a gift was presented to Dr Ghaly by Deanne Portellis, Regional CEO Healthecare Mid North Coast Hospitals, before a small gathering in the hospital's cafe to celebrate the occasion.
"We have a strong, very respectful working relationship. It has been one with a long history," Ms Portelli said.
"Dr Ghaly is an exceptional surgeon and he's been with us here in Taree for 38 years of his 50 year career. So our community has benefited; I don't think there's anybody that's really grown up in this community that doesn't know Dr Ghaly.:
A calling for surgery
While studying medicine, Dr Ghaly only ever wanted to be a surgeon.
He graduated in Egypt in 1974 and started his internship on his birthday. He went to England to work and complete a surgical fellowship, before returning to Egypt to complete his 15 months' service in the Egyptian army.
When that was completed, he made the move to Australia. He spent six years working in Sydney, while battling to get his qualifications recognised. Once he was finally recognised as a surgeon he started looking for jobs.
His move to Taree came 38 years ago, when he answered an ad for employment, came up for the interview and was given the position the next day.
"And I have got no regrets being here," the softly-spoken surgeon says.
What he likes best about working in the Manning Valley is the variety of work he gets to perform.
"Because, being a general surgeon, we can do a lot of things. The absence of a plastic surgeon, the absence of a vascular surgeon the absence of a urologist at the time, the lack of orthopaedic surgeons ... in my career, God arranged that I do these things in my training.
"It's incredible, the time I spent between England, Egypt and Sydney doing different jobs that I didn't realise, why am I doing plastic surgery? Why am I doing microvascular surgery? Why am I doing vascular surgery?
"God was arranging these things for me knowing that I'm coming here, I think."
He cites one particular day as a career highlight.
"One day I had a baby aged four weeks and I did a pyloric stenosis early in the morning. And at the end of the day, I had a patient in his 80s with a ruptured AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm) - very serious business - and both did very well.
"I could not have dreamt that in my life. And not too many general surgeons would have such an exposure and training to do these different things," Dr Ghaly says.
Much loved and highly valued member of the community
Dr Ghaly has a private practice, and is a medical officer operating at Manning Base Hospital, as well as Mayo Private Hospital and the Cape Hawke Hospital in Forster.
In his 38 years practising medicine, he has mentored countless medical students and trainees.
Dr Ghaly and his first wife, Mona, brought two daughters up with them from Sydney when they were aged only two and three years old. The girls' gained their education first through St Joseph's Primary School and then St Clare's High School in Taree.
He is instrumental in the existence of Taree's first and only Christian Coptic Orthodox Church, the St Mary and St Pope Kirolos the 6th Church, although he humbly plays down his part in the creation of the building.
No plans to stop
Dr Ghaly says that he has enjoyed, and still does enjoy, his time in Taree.
"People have been very kind to me. I've enjoyed working both public and private. And when I stop I'll stop from both at the same time.
"I'm not retiring yet. I enjoy my work still and hopefully I'll stay physically fit to work a bit more.
"But I need to slow down and I don't know how," he laughs.
"There's really a lot of work to be done."