In Egypt, respiratory medicine (more commonly termed "chest diseases") is regarded as a separate speciality rather than a subspecialty of internal medicine. All graduates of Egyptian Medical Schools have to complete a year of internship at teaching hospitals rotating between different medical and surgical departments. Following internship and obtaining licence to practice, doctors are required to work for 6-12 months at primary healthcare facilities around the country. At the end of this period, a doctor can start their specialty training; the choice of which depends on the cumulative score they achieved at medical school.