Overall Programme and Goals

• To experience a paramedic’s work and to see real emergency situations.
• To explore many aspects of the professional medical field in Israel – in a hands on way.
• To learn from Israel’s leading professionals what it takes to become a top medical practitioner.
• To view Israel as a worldwide leader in medical practice, research, and technology.
• To become familiar with humanitarian issues as well as aspects of Contemporary Israeli and Jewish life.

The Year Course Medical Track is an addition to the traditional Year Course programme, offering Community Volunteering, Jerusalem Studies, and the Israeli Experience sections. Each component features extended opportunities for volunteering, learning, and cultural enrichment.

The YC Medical Track offers an intensive educational programme that is combined with hands-on practical experiences and volunteering in top research facilities. Participants will meet with leading health professionals, work with Israeli paramedics, and find out what it takes to become one of the special group who devote their lives to saving others.

Chanichim will volunteer with Magen David Adom (MADA), and learn about Jewish medical ethics and see the practical implications up close in Hadassah hospital – one of Israel’s leading medical facilities.

No prior experience in the medicine world is needed in order to be a participant in this programme, and for chanichim that wish to contribute in this field while in Israel, or to explore a future medical career the YC Medical track is a unique opportunity. A medium level of Hebrew (subject to passing a Hebrew test prior to the beginning of the programme) is required.

Israel Experience (September – November 2008)
For the first 5 weeks of the programme chanichim will go through a very intensive professional medic’s course. This is the first time MADA is offering this prestigious course to non-Israeli volunteers, allowing participants to become MADA’s certified medic, a qualification that is recognised in many places around the world. This certificate gives all of the training and qualifications necessary to treat patients and do special procedures that no one else on YC will be allowed to perform: Insert an IV, Operate life saving equipment, Operate electric shock machinery, and many other such life saving activities.

At the end of the course you will have to pass a written and practical test in Hebrew, before being stationed in MADA stations in the Tel Aviv area. Chanichim will each do one shift of 8 hours a day, going on ambulances as part of the medical team responding to emergency calls.

Chanichim will live in apartments in the city of Ramat Gan (15 min. from Tel Aviv), 6 participants in each apartment and will each receive stipend money to buy food.
Once a week there will be a group activity with your madrich/a, for example meeting a surgeon and hearing about his work or going to the Tel Aviv medical centre to see how the Casualty department is running.

An example Israel Experience weekly schedule:

Community Volunteering (December – February 2008-9)
Living in Holon CV you will go through the regular CV programme, and more details are in the Year Course brochure. Chanichim can choose to volunteer with the regular CV participants and all volunteer placements will be available to them. However, some volunteer placements will be unique to the Medical track: Such volunteering will include the Wolfson medical centre (The hospital houses one of Israel’s leading children’s departments), the Abu Kabir morgue or a Veterinarian clinic.

Once a week there will have a group activity, hearing special lectures, such as the story of Dr. Alecsei Kalganov; a Dr that received the highest military award from the chief of staff for his outstanding bravery during the second Lebanon war, or visit Bio Tec industry laboratories, one of the most innovative companies in Israel.

Once a week, the whole group will participate in a volunteer project with and for the community in the field of Medicine. Chanichim will be able to suggest and choose a project that will educate and impact the community that participants live in, gaining experience and precious practice whilst offering assistance to people who need it.

An example Community Volunteering weekly schedule:

Jerusalem Studies (March – May 2009)
The Jerusalem studies section will be the same section as referred to in the Year Course brochure. However all chanichim will have to take the Jewish Medical Ethics course.

In addition to the regular courses, there will be 2 informal education opportunities for the Medical track participants:

• A psychology course that will cover a broad range of subjects that participants might have encountered or dealt with during the year, such as stressful environments and situations, dealing with death and other issues.
  
  
• A weekly group meeting/tour to special places like Hadassah Optimal centre to observe laser eye surgery and hear about other plastic surgery procedures, or Hadassah college to assist with experiments at the laboratories.

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on all FZY Year Course programmes for 08/09.