Dr. Yousif Bashar Yousif
Dentistry Department Graduate
TIU – Erbil
In every academic journey, some students quietly choose not to live within a single definition of success. This is the story of one of them, Yousif Bashar, a Dentist who managed to stand at the top of his academic cohort while simultaneously building a voice in storytelling through filmmaking. During his third year in dental college, amidst rigorous coursework, clinical demands, and the constant pressure of examinations, he embarked on an unexpected creative project: a short film titled Anesthesia.
At the same time, his academic performance remained Consistent. He ranked among the top three students out of 140 in his batch, proving that creative ambition did not come at the cost of academic excellence. Instead, both paths seemed to fuel each other. The discipline required in dentistry sharpened his ability to plan and execute creative work, while filmmaking gave him a deeper sensitivity toward human emotion, something that is equally essential in healthcare.
The 8-minute short film was not just an artistic experiment; it was a reflection of a deeply personal and widely shared reality. It explored the emotional and psychological pressure many students face when career paths are shaped more by family expectations than personal passion. In Anesthesia, the metaphor extended beyond medicine into the emotional numbness that can arise when individuals are pushed into identities they did not choose. The story questioned what it means to wear a professional title, such as “doctor” or “dentist”, when the inner self may be struggling to breathe beneath it.
What made this project remarkable was not only its message, but the circumstances under which it was created. Over the course of six months, Yousif and his peers in the class all worked very hard to make this short film alongside their demanding studies, exams under the guidance of their mentors, Dr. Zeyneb Yalman and Dr. Safiya Basman.
The experience of creating Anesthesia became more than just a student project;
As Dr. Yousif puts it: “it became a formative chapter in understanding identity, pressure, and purpose. It raised questions that extend far beyond the classroom: How often do people follow paths chosen for them? What is the cost of success when it is disconnected from passion? And how can individuals carve space for their true interests in systems that often reward conformity?
After the film was completed, it was shown by Dr. Yousif and Dr. Mustafa, which was the main actor and the first supporter in the film, to multiple schools with the intention of opening a conversation with younger students about choice, pressure, and self-determination. Among the audience was a 12th-grade student named Noora. During the screening, she became emotional and cried as she related deeply to the story and the pressure she was experiencing regarding her own future. That moment became one of the most powerful reflections of the film’s impact; its message had moved beyond the screen and into real life.
Two years later, the story came full circle. Noora achieved her goal and was accepted into dental school at the same college Yousif came from. Today, Yousif is a practicing dentist, while she is a student following the same academic path he once walked. What began as a moment of emotional connection during a screening has become a quiet intersection of journeys, one that reflects how stories can move beyond the screen and continue living in real life through the people they reach.