El Temtamy has graduated from the Faculty of Medicine in Cairo University; she had started her career path by being a Doctor of Excellence in the University’s Children Hospital. She got her Diploma in Pediatrics in October 1960; then she had joined the National Research Center. She has her PHD in Human Genetics in 1966 from Johns Hopkins University in the US.  She was the first person in the Middle East to get this PHD in this specific medical specialty. When she returned to Egypt, El Temtamy established the Human Genetics Department, which includes nearly 100 researchers today, the first Outpatient Clinic for the National Research Center, and the first specialized clinic in bone and genetic abnormalities.  In addition, she has published more than 300 researches. She also established the National Society for Human Genetics, in which she was elected as President. This had led El Temtamy receive many scientific awards, like the Scientific Excellence Award for the National Research Center in 1987 in Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences. She has also received the Association of Defects Award from Japan in 1988 and State Award for Medical Sciences in 2001. In addition, El Temtamy has got Nile Award in 2011, Award of Creative Women in Genetics from Bahrain in 2009, and Gomez Human Prize about African.