I undertook my medical elective a Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem in summer of 2011. This was made possible by the generous scholarship provided by Jewish Medical Association UK.
Hadassah Hospital is located at two campuses; Ein Karem and Mount. Scopus in Jerusalem and it is part of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem providing teaching and education in the fields of medicine, dentistry, nursing and other health sciences. The larger of the two, the Ein Karem campus provides 700 beds in over 130 departments and clinics. In 2005 the Hadassah Medical Centre was nominated for a noble peace prize in acknowledgment of its equal treatment of all patients, regardless of ethnic and religious differences, and efforts to build bridges to peace.
I spend eight weeks at the Cardiology department. I began my days with 8am ward rounds, followed by cardiac catheterisation labs and clinics in the afternoon. I got the opportunity to witness a variety of cardiovascular conditions however the great majority of the workload concentrated on caring for elderly with heart failure and those admitted with myocardial infarction. My limited knowledge of Hebrew proved of some help however it was difficult at times to follow the discussions in Hebrew when a lot of medical terminology was used. But on most occasions the medical team kindly conducted their discussions in English so I could also understand. The language barrier was more of an issue when communicating to patients who didn’t speak English. But with the help of the Israeli medical students and the nurses I managed to clerk most with no major problems.
My elective in Israel was eye opening. I am passionate for cardiovascular medicine and I had the opportunity to observe and experience the science being applied to patients at such an advanced level. But more so the experience was eye opening considering the political sensitivities of the region. Having been exposed to the western media on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and having heard comparisons to an “apartheid state” it was surreal to see the level of equality practised on the ground where Palestinian patients comprise a large number of hospital admissions and they are cared for with the highest standards. And the practise is not just limited to the Israeli-Arab citizens. I personally witnessed a Palestinian patient being admitted with severe myocardial infarction. He required urgent valve replacement and spent one week in the Intensive Care Unit and only when he was stable he was transferred to the hospital in Ramallah, West Bank. The stories of such are commonly heard at various departments. It was moving to see the human side of the conflict; that regardless to one’s religion or background, everyone deserves medical care at point of admission, it is not a privilege but it is a human right.
My elective in Israel meant a lot to me; as a medical student and as a Jew. It helped me realise that a career in Cardiology is something that I would strongly consider but beyond that, it opened sides of the Israeli society that I would not have witnessed any other way. It highlighted the human and the Jewish values that are the foundations of the State of Israel which I am so proud of. May it be that one day our shared humanity helps us to forget our differences and create lasting peace in the Holy Land.
MA
4th year medical student
Southampton University