Iraqi refugee inspired by NHS treatment to study medicine at Cambridge

A refugee who left Iraq as a child for hospital treatment in the UK has won a place studying medicine at Cambridge.

Buraq Ahmed was treated for congenital hip dysplasia after leaving his parents and travelling to the UK with his grandmother.

The 18-year-old from Cardiff achieved an A* in biology, an A* in chemistry, an A* in economics and an A* in maths.

"I would never have dreamed of getting four A*s and getting a place at Cambridge," he said.

He will now attend Fitzwilliam College.

Buraq, of Cardiff, has had multiple surgeries because of his condition.

He arrived in the UK after his parents sold their home to pay for his trip to the UK when he was three.

By becoming a doctor he hopes to be able to give something back to society.

"I spent a lot of time in hospitals, as you can imagine," he said.

"As weird as it sounds, the memories of being in hospital are all fond memories.

"I remember being upset and and a nurse came in and sat down and I sat on her lap.

"I remember how happy that made me. It's that warmth I want to be able to give back to people."

He became fascinated by the more academic side of things as he learned about his condition.

"I would Google things and write up notes on what I had," Buraq said.

"That made me really interested in human anatomy and medicine."

He did not see his parents again until he was 14.

They and his three younger siblings later fled Iraq because of the Islamic State group and now live in Belgium.

"It's devastating that there is nothing I can do to bring us together," Buraq said.

"Obviously my grandmother is separated from her kids as well."

His head teacher at Cardiff Sixth Form College, Gareth Collier, praised Buraq as "a whole-hearted, full-on sort of guy."

"It was never in doubt he was going to do well," he said.

"It was just a question of whether he would fit the profile of Cambridge.

"It's well deserved. There is a lot of negativity about refugees and this is a huge success story."