As I rapidly approach the end of my first year at school here, eagerly anticipating my return home to Canada for summer break, I find myself reflecting on the year. What was good, what was bad. What was fun, what was sad. Things that worked well and others that needed improvement. One question that even now, nearly 11 months after my arrival in Be’er Sheva, still pops into my head is how did I get here? Here, in Be’er Sheva, Israel. Here, as a student at MSIH. Here, at the end of a year of medical education. How did this happen? Our class recently finished learning our second body system, h ..read more

We are now just shy of one month before the end of first year, but in a sense, we’ve already started second year. What I mean is that although this is still year one, it feels as though we have moved on to the next year of the curriculum. We have completed two full semesters of basic science courses and are now learning body systems. First, we studied endocrinology and now we are moving on to hematology. The strangest part of being so far along in the school year is that the first few weeks of school, way back in August 2021, still feel like just last week. The time has flown by, maybe becau ..read more

Accepting an offer to study medicine in Israel wasn’t, for me, a solo decision. Being married naturally made it a joint decision, a major life change that affected both me and my wife, Caroline. I’m lucky that my other half has always wanted to live abroad, that she enjoys other languages and cultures, and that she’s fierce in her support of me and my goals. It turns out I’m also lucky she’s so fierce in her passion for running. Random, I know, but hear me out. I grew up playing baseball. I enjoyed every second of it, but it’s admittedly not much of a running sport (maybe why I liked it so muc ..read more

  Every place has its own history. It’s always unique and leaks invariably into the present. Part and parcel with coming to live somewhere new is familiarizing oneself with that history. Without it there are a great many happenings that one wouldn’t understand. Taking up temporary residence in Israel in order to study medicine requires, then, not just that one acquires scientific or medical knowledge, nor only proficiency with a new language, but a familiarity with a place and its people and their history. At least, that’s been my opinion these past few months. It’s a perspective that’s ..read more

  I’m convinced that successful planning is a myth. Don’t misunderstand my sentiment. I still believe we should plan using the knowledge we have available to us, but I also think we should hold those plans loosely with a willingness to go with the flow or change direction entirely. My midnight view! As long as there are snacks, I have nothing to complain about! I bought tickets to fly home and spend Christmas with my family back in October when Covid seemed under control. Christmas would be the first time I had seen my family and friends since July. Many of my classmates did the ..read more

In the face of Covid-19, it is evident that health is a global issue affecting all of us. One of my favorite parts of MSIH’s curriculum this semester has been the Global Health courses and emphasis. Don’t get me wrong, we have just begun to touch the surface, and there are numerous discussions I am excited to be a part of as I continue my education at MSIH. I know I will continue to learn what it means to practice health with a global perspective for the rest of my life, but I’m getting the incredible exposure right now. If you look up the definition of Global Health, Wikipedia provides the d ..read more

  Happy new year ! Today is January 5th 2022, we started the second semester yesterday. Some of us are on zoom, others are in person. The reason is that a lot of us went to what Israel calls “Red countries” during the break, thus we need to quarantine for a week. In the meantime, the school is accommodating us.  It was really enjoyable for us to be able to travel, see our families and enjoy a break from school. Before the Christmas/New Year break we had our first ever Finals season. To be honest, it was a lot of work, and difficult because it was our first time experiencing th ..read more

Since coming to Israel in July, I have had the opportunity to experience many Jewish holidays. I don’t have any Jewish heritage, so it has been an exciting adventure to learn about each holiday and discover the beauty of their traditions. Shabbat is a weekly occurrence that has resulted in many shared meals and new friends. Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, was at the beginning of September. We celebrated with the traditional delicious pomegranate. This was followed by Yom Kippur in mid-September. There are so many things I could say about Yom Kippur, but I will keep it short and sweet. It’s ..read more

    The weather in Israel isn’t reflecting the rapid approach of finals, but the frazzled students are a blatant indication. How is it possible we are already halfway through November? My brain is torn between a state of denial and panic. Most days still feel like summer, with temperatures around 80 (Fahrenheit haha). But when I look at the calendar, the truth is no longer avoidable. We are officially 3 weeks away from our first final.     I can’t speak for all my classmates, but I am fairly certain I am not alone in my growing feelings of trepidation towards our ..read more

Yesterday there was a Static and Ben El concert on campus. It was fun, and a crazy experience to be at such an event on school grounds. Never had I experienced something like this in London. After the amazing concert that I enjoyed with classmates, I met up with Israelis and went to a bar. Suddenly, I felt guilty. I had a lot of studying to do, and I was at a bar at 1 am on a Wednesday night. Online we see all these medical students posting videos of their 5 am wake-ups and with a perfectly structured and productive day. That’s not possible to do if you are at a bar at 1 am. I said this to my ..read more