I arranged my elective through Tel Aviv University Medical School.  In the Otorhinolaryngology department, I was supervised by Professor Ophir but also had the opportunity to work closely with Professor Finkelstein, one of the leading Otorhinolaryngologists in Israel.  A typical day would start at 7.30am with a departmental meeting, followed by a ward round and then either clinic or a theatre list for the rest of the day.  As we were renting a flat in Netanya, I got a bus to the hospital which took approximately 45 minutes.  Although I had an early start every day, I was usually finished at the hospital by 4.00pm.   All meetings and clinics were in Hebrew  but the team made a special effort to translate to ensure that I could follow what was happening. By the end of the elective I had picked up enough Hebrew  to understand the flow of the meetings/consultations.  The whole department was extremely welcoming and I really enjoyed my time there.

Emma and I spent our free time together, and took the opportunity to relax and explore Israel! The public transport in Israel is cheap and accessible so we were able to do other activities such as visiting the Na’agalat centre for the Blind and Deaf in Tel Aviv (where we ate a meal in pitch blackness, being guided by a blind waiter – an incredible experience!), hiking in Ein Gedi, floating in the Dead Sea and spending time in Jerusalem.

We really enjoyed our electives and are happy to discuss our experiences further should any other students be interested!  We would also like to thank JMA(UK) for the sponsorships for our electives.

Ben Shaw
Medical student, UCL