A. Cyrus Tahernia

This Memoir entitled The Long and Tumultuous Journey of My Life consists of 183 pages with 112 interior pictures, most of immediate family pictures. It contains 10 chapters. Chapter One: portrays the first 24 years of authors personal and professional life. It illustrates the difficulty of authors life living in desolated area because of his father military assignments. It shows authors anxiety about the Second World War and occupation of his beloved country by foreign troops. It also gives information about his personal life, his immediate family, Persian traditions and customs and his father being prisoner of war. It demonstrates his feeling toward living in different localities with different cultures and environments. It also describes his elementary, high school and medical schools and how he endured numerous examinations and hardships.

Chapter Two: deals with his postgraduate study and training in different hospitals and difficulty to get familiar with American culture and society. How he finished Internship, Pediatric Residency and Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology, during latter of which, he met his future wife. He went through several examinations to be American Board Certified in the field of Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology by passing written part of Sub-Board of Pediatric Cardiology examination and to an academic career.

Chapter Three: contains authors marriage and having three beautiful children. He obtained academic medical career and was promoted to associate professor. This was one of best part of authors personal and professional life in watching his children growth and success in his job.

Chapter Four: portrays authors sabbatical leave from the University and being quite successful in training, and passing the oral portion of American Sub-Board of Pediatric Cardiology to become Board Certified in American Sub- Board of Pediatric Cardiology. Academically author published four scientific papers in the prestigious medical journals during one year. This academic achievement caused some difficulty in his work due to the jealousy and inferiority complex of his colleagues. Chapter Five: explains happy and successful life at the beginning of his highest career but it caused authors adverse health problems and nervous breakdown . This part of authors life dealt with hard work in administration, teaching medical students, training pediatric residents, patients care and conducting research as being Full Professor and Chairman of the Department. He was also as Visiting Professor in the University of Pennsylvania and establishment of exchange program for faculties and residents between our department and the department of pediatric at the University of Pennsylvania. This period was another productive life academically by publishing numerous scientific publications and expansion of the department in every direction but to encounter budgetary problem and nepotism by University administration.

Chapter Six: describes my difficulty working in prejudiced, hostile and notorious medical community and facing a great of deal of jealousy and dishonesty in my profession. At least I and my family were well accepted in the community. This period was accompanied by great deal of authors childrens achievement academically and athletically. They brought a slew of trophies and awards and straight A. Author witnessed tremendous success in his children. This period also coincided with a lot of travel abroad and quite a few number of medical presentations locally, nationally and Internationally this chapter has been divided into Section A and B which represents two different era of authors personal and professional life. Chapter Seven: was the best part of my life personally and professionally. I had the best productivity academically and financially. I was treated as a celebrity and being popular, and liked by my patients and colleagues. There was a big demand for my work not in th