On the Road to Better Care: Dr. Nelly Hayrapetyan’s Journey with FAR
Updated: Sep 28
Every morning, Dr. Nelly Hayrapetyan leaves Yerevan and heads to Gavar Medical Center. By 9 a.m., she is already at work in the Therapeutic Department, where she provides care as a rheumatologist.
She has been making this journey every day since 2021—and has no plans to stop.
“I was recently offered a position at a clinic in Yerevan, much closer to home,” Nelly says. “It was a good opportunity, but I realized that leaving Gavar would be stressful for me. I couldn’t imagine not going there anymore.”
What keeps her coming back is the people. For many patients in the region, seeing a specialist in Yerevan can mean additional travel, expenses, long waits, and time away from work and family. Nelly brings specialized care closer to them.
“I feel better in regional communities,” she says. “People are very sincere and direct. You feel that they appreciate you as a doctor.”
Nelly, 36, is originally from Hadrut, Artsakh. She moved to Armenia in eighth grade and later entered Yerevan State Medical University.
Her decision to become a doctor was inspired by her grandmother, a nurse who served several villages. Becoming a doctor had been her grandmother’s own dream, but financial circumstances led her to choose nursing instead.
“She was incredibly caring, patient, and devoted to her profession,” Nelly recalls. “For me, she was a motivation. I always dreamed of becoming a doctor.”
Nelly initially planned to become an endocrinologist. But during her fourth year of medical school, a short rotation in rheumatology introduced her to Dr. Knarik Vardanovna.
Her mentor’s deep knowledge and dedication to medicine inspired Nelly to choose rheumatology. Later, during her specialized training, she was mentored by another prominent physician, Dr. Valentina Vardanyan.
Nelly says she remains grateful to these three women for shaping not only her professional knowledge, but also her approach to patients.
“One of my teachers used to say, ‘Whoever you become as a specialist, your first profession must be to be a human being.’”
That principle continues to guide her.
“When a patient comes into my office, I imagine that they are my relative,” she says. “I treat them that way.”
Nelly’s work in Gavar has also shown her how important continuous learning is for regional physicians. While doctors in Yerevan may have easier access to conferences, specialists, and new medical information, keeping up with the latest developments can be more challenging in the regions.
That is why her participation in the Fund for Armenian Relief’s Continuing Medical Education (CME) Program became an important opportunity.
A colleague at Gavar Medical Center first told Nelly about the program, which offers regional doctors a one-month mentorship with specialists at leading medical institutions in Yerevan. She encouraged Nelly to apply—and she was selected.
For one month, Nelly trained at Mikaelyan university hospital, where she worked alongside physicians from different specialties, participated in clinical discussions and case reviews, and explored updated approaches to diagnosis and treatment.
“Professionally, it was very academic,” she says. “We followed new developments and updates in medical guidelines. We had many discussions, and it was very informative.”
Moreover, she visited the National Scientific Medical Library, exploring the latest publications and medical research. By the end of the program, Nelly had not only refreshed her medical knowledge but also gained new professional connections.
The network created through the program has continued beyond the training. Doctors from different regions now consult one another and discuss challenging cases—an especially valuable resource when certain specialists are not readily available locally.
For Nelly, CME was more than a month of professional development. It was a chance to step away from the demands of daily practice, learn from experienced specialists, exchange ideas with fellow regional doctors, and return to her patients with renewed knowledge.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to refresh my knowledge and to make good friends and new professional connections,” she says.
And then she returns to the road. Every morning, Nelly leaves Yerevan and heads to Gavar. For her, the journey is not simply a commute. It is part of the commitment she made years ago—to medicine, to her patients, and to the example of the grandmother who first showed her what it means to care for others.
“I hope I never change,” she says. “I hope I remain the same doctor I was in my first years—the one who sees the person, not just the patient.”
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