We arrived at the guest house in Jerusalem and unloaded our bags into the first available room. The long list of vocabulary words in Hebrew that we were expected to memorize sat untouched in my backpack. We were told to go across the street to buy school supplies, and in my mind I scoffed at the idea of engaging academically after such a extensive respite. I purchased my pens and notebook with a light heart, entirely unaware of the challenge that I was about to hit head on.
Later that night I found myself, head bent over a desk copying notes in a darkened room from a projector. That was my reality for the following ten days. From 8:00 am until 10:00 pm with only breaks for meals I learned the intricacies of saving lives with Magen David Adom, the emergency medical service of Israel. From Elevated Inter-Cranial Pressure, to Pulmonary Edema and everything in between, by the end of my course I was extremely well versed in basic life-threatening ailments, and the appropriate emergency treatments.
My teachers had been working with MDA for many years and had many stories about their experiences with the organization. My class and I became very close over the course of the week and a half, and we I have many fond memories from the time I spent there.
After passing the midterm and the final exam, I was given my uniform (a white button down shirt with the MDA logo, and a beautiful fleece to keep warm during the mild winter in Israel), and sent back to Haifa to start saving lives.
1 comment:
Zach,
Thank you so much for posting your adventures. I am amazed at all you have experienced and particularly impressed by your studying medical procedures to save lives in so short a time. I would like to hear about your impressions of your visit with your new found relatives when you have time. You have convinced me to plan a trip to Prague! Stay safe, sending love, cousin barbara
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