Yaelle Shaked is not an ordinary student. Scheduled begin her undergraduate studies at Harvard University this fall, Shaked delayed her original college entry date in favor of a pre-college gap year she’s used to shadow Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) neurosurgery residents.
“I must admit that my first day at (HMO) was a bit overwhelming as I was rapidly exposed to the immensity and complexity of this extraordinary facility,” relates Shaked.
“From the size of the hospital to the advanced technology, everything seemed to amaze me. My time in Hadassah’s hospitals soon became the absolute highlight of my year. I enjoyed a near constant rush of adrenaline as I continued to learn and be exposed to different areas of the field as I shadowed physicians who constantly moved throughout the hospital to provide the best treatment possible to all of their patients,” she said.
Yaelle came to Israel with Young Judaea’s Year Course program. With the help of Hadassah’s Office in Israel and Hadassah Senior Neurosurgeon Dr. Guy Rosenthal, she was able to spend two months at the hospital, learning about neurosurgery.
She was given the opportunity to view five different surgeries where, she said, she learned how surgeons choose the proper treatment in an active, real time setting. “It was incredible to observe the different strategies the Hadassah neurosurgeons employed and their many ways of approaching and treating patients,” she notes.
“My two months at Hadassah not only allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the field of neurology,” she adds, “but also taught me about the responsibilities and values physicians and their staff must uphold. I am extremely grateful to have been afforded this incredible opportunity: to be alongside the esteemed Hadassah medical staff. I know that I will always remember this experience and will forever cherish the time I spent at Hadassah’s hospitals.”