Burkan Owaid came to the U.S. in 2014 from his home country of Iraq. Burkan was a physician specializing in radiology. When he came to the U.S., his postgraduate credential and work experience were not recognized. He faced considerable barriers and discrimination as he sought a path to licensure. He was told that he could not practice medicine without passing three different tests and completing a 4-5 year residency. Further, he found that most residency programs prefer recent medical school graduates and it was difficult for immigrants to specialize in anything besides family medicine. He then looked into certification as a Physician's Assistant but was told that these programs required a bachelor's degree from an American university. Although his bachelor's program had been accredited by the state of Massachusetts, he was told that it still did not qualify. His status as a refugee also made him ineligible to begin any program of study for a full year after his arrival.

Burkan realized that he would not be able to practice medicine without essentially starting from scratch, something he chose not to do because of his responsibilities to his family. Despite this setback, he still wanted to do something that aligned with his passion to help and heal people. He started looking into neuroscience programs but found that the job market for these positions was not good, and their funding tended to be tied to research projects. Seeking more stability while still pursuing his values, he became interested in counseling. He looked into Salve Regina's program but felt that their holistic approach did not align with his scientific background and came to RIC instead. 

Burkan started his CMHC degree in 2019. Overall, it has been a challenge for him to adjust to the culture, language, and systems of the U.S., especially with regards to the process of becoming a permanent legal resident. On the academic side, he says that the CEP department has been very supportive. In particular, he connected with Dr. Darcy early on and she has helped guide him through the application process and the program itself. He is interested in working with a wide range of clients and believes that his diverse experience will help him understand his clients from mulitple perspectives. Burkan has worked as a physician, a community health worker, a medical interpreter, a case worker, a career counselor, and a community advisor as well as several other positions. He sees a broad set of ages and presenting problems at his internship site, Quality Behavioral Health, and plans to stay there until he finishes his pre-licensure hours. He now feels very settled and his next step is buying a house. 

MS CMHC student receives NBCC Fellowship