Student internships: Fredy Fawzy

Fredy Fawzy is a third-year medical student at New Giza University in Cairo, Egypt.

By Fredy Fawzy

As a third-year medical student from Cairo, I had already developed an interest in interventional procedures after observing cardiac stenting during my clinical rotations. That experience of watching a blocked coronary artery reopened through a catheter, without a single surgical incision, stayed with me and pushed me to explore what else could be achieved through image-guided intervention. When a friend who had attended a CIRSE conference told me about the student internship program, I was immediately excited to apply. What I found at Semmelweis University was a team that was genuinely warm and welcoming, and that set the tone for everything that followed. From day one, the physicians, nurses, and technologists treated me as part of the department rather than just a visiting student passing through.

My first case in the cath lab was a percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography combined with biliary stenting. Watching it live was a completely different experience from reading about it. The catheter was advanced through the liver parenchyma under fluoroscopic guidance until bile duct access was confirmed, contrast was injected to map the biliary tree, and a stent was deployed across the obstruction to restore bile flow. Seeing that immediate relief was achieved without any open surgery made it clear why so many people are drawn to this specialty. It was a strong start.

Fredy Fawzy (left) and Dr. András Bibok

The two weeks that followed were packed. On the hepatic and oncology side, I observed a transarterial radioembolization with Yttrium-90 microspheres, during which a catheter was selectively advanced into the hepatic artery branches feeding the tumour, delivering radiation directly to the lesion while sparing surrounding tissue. I also observed hepatic arterial infusion therapy and portal vein embolization. One session I found particularly interesting was a 3D reconstruction of hepatic artery tumour anatomy, which showed how much pre-procedural planning has evolved with modern imaging tools. Beyond liver procedures, I also observed thyroid artery embolization, ultrasound-guided kidney and sternal biopsies, ascites drainage, and iliopsoas abscess drainage. The variety was genuinely surprising. Interventional radiology touches almost every organ system, and seeing that firsthand gave me a much broader picture of the specialty than I had going in.

The teaching throughout was excellent, especially given how busy the department was. The doctors were always willing to stop and explain what they were doing, even though English wasn’t their first language. I learned a lot about catheter selection, specifically how size and stiffness are chosen based on the anatomy and the demands of each procedure. We also discussed puncture site selection and ultrasound-guided access techniques in a level of detail that I hadn’t encountered before.

András Bibok made a particular effort to involve me beyond observation. He included me in case discussions, walked me through imaging findings before and after procedures, and made sure I understood the clinical reasoning behind each decision. That kind of mentorship is not something you can take for granted, and it genuinely made the experience much more valuable.

I came to Budapest already interested in interventional radiology, and I’m leaving with that interest significantly reinforced. Watching a patient’s condition managed through a small skin puncture, with precision and minimal recovery time, is something that stays with you. I feel like I gained real clinical exposure that will be useful regardless of where my career takes me.

I want to sincerely thank Rešid Dževdetbegović for organizing this internship and making the whole experience possible, and Dr. András Bibok for his time, his patience, and for making sure every day was worthwhile. If you are a medical student considering applying for this internship, I would encourage you to go for it without hesitation.