Should I give up a medical degree due to contact with male patients?

Answered by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil

Question: Assalam aleykum,

When studying medicine, you are required to put catheters in both male and female patients. As a female Muslim, I don’t feel it would be right to go into Medicine knowing this is required of me. Should I become a doctor because of this?

Answer: Assalamualaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray this finds you well. May Allah reward you for reaching out to us.

Medicine

In short, yes, women can and need to study Medicine.

Being a female doctor is a fardhul kifayah (communally obligation). Because of the necessity of training in this field, then certain things can be permitted.

I encourage you to read these links:

Choosing a Medical Career and Following Gender Interaction Rules
Fiqh of Females Seeking Medical Treatment

I encourage you to perform the Prayer of Guidance about how to proceed. Please watch what Allah unfolds for you.

Education

Dear sister, you sound sound intelligent, decisive and desirous of what is pleasing to Allah.

If studying Medicine does not sit well with you because of the physical contact with male patients, then perhaps you can consider a different career path.

I encourage you to read the book “Green Deen” by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin. He describes the need for our brightest minds to solve the burgeoning crisis of energy management. Perhaps this is something you can consider.

I pray that Allah guides you to whatever is best for your deen and your dunya.

Wassalam,
[Ustadha] Raidah Shah Idil

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil has spent almost two years in Amman, Jordan, where she learned Shafi’i’ fiqh, Arabic, Seerah, Aqeedah, Tasawwuf, Tafsir and Tajweed. She continues to study with her Teachers in Malaysia and online through SeekersHub Global. She graduated with a Psychology and English degree from University of New South Wales, was a volunteer hospital chaplain for 5 years and has completed a Diploma of Counselling from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. She lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with her husband, daughter, and mother-in-law.