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You might have heard him sing and play the piano at Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) events in Israel, but you probably didn’t realize that Udi Knebel, 27, was an HMO medical student and is now an intern physician.
Ten years ago, he was accepted into Tzameret, the IDF's Elite Academic Officers Program, based at HMO, in which medical students study first and then serve in the IDF as physicians.
Currently interning at HMO, Knebel also completed a PhD at the Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Medicine, publishing a paper on Type 1 diabetes in Cell Metabolism, one of the leading journals in the field, and working for two years as a physician's assistant in the Division of Hematology.
"We had the privilege of learning from some of the best doctors in the hospital," he said of the experience.
A piano player from the age of 4, Knebel learned to compose and conduct as well.
"Music accompanied me all my life. It gives me the ability to connect directly to emotions," he said.
What began as writing songs on erasers and markers in his pencil case in elementary school evolved into writing orchestral works and full musical plays, one of which was awarded the music prize for Best Score at the Akko Theater Festival, Israel's leading festival for new theatrical work.
While in medical school, Knebel also worked as assistant music director at the Habima Theater, Israel's national theater. "It was a surrealist experience. I would start the day at the hospital and later go to Tel Aviv and sit in the same room with all the leading figures of Israeli culture," he said.
Knebel founded a musical group for fellow students at HMO. Over the years, he brought together around 30 musicians to perform nearly 60 performances at Hadassah hospitals and all over Israel.
"We created a fun social group, and the musical outcome was really nice," he said. "Many of my colleagues were active musicians growing up, which is very natural as both medicine and music require practice, patience, craftsmanship and teamwork."
Soon to be a military officer serving as the physician of an IDF battalion, Knebel, who always had a passion for biology and research, traced his decision to become a doctor to one incident.
He was 14 when he witnessed a serious car accident at the entrance to Moshav Tal Shahar, between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where he lived.
"There wasn't anyone there, only me and my mom," he recalled. "It took the ambulance a long time to arrive, and I remembered feeling powerless. If you're the only person there, you have to know how to act."
"The training we receive at Hadassah hospitals orients us to look at the patient, not just the illness. The staff members really care about the interns and our opinions. They want us to advance and progress," he said.
"When the hospital focuses on research, it forces you to be at the forefront of innovation, and you can give your patients the newest treatments. You get a different level of professionalism and medicine that is always moving forward. It's a great feeling that I gave everything I could at the hospital, and the hospital invested back in me."
He'll be giving back to the IDF, beginning his service as an army physician this fall.
Best of luck to you, Dr. Udi Knebel!
