Personal Stories

Prof. Carolyn Weiniger

Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Dept

After high school I joined a kibbutz ulpan in 1989, and picked fruit for two months, learned basic Hebrew, and was tempted to abandon my plan to return to the UK. Practicalities sprang into action – I was accepted to Manchester University Medical School, married and started residency in Anesthesia in London. While hard to explain, Israel felt like home. Luckily my husband agreed, so after two years of Anesthesia residency in the UK, we made Aliyah in 1995. My UK Medical School diploma and professional exams were recognized in Israel, so the transfer to complete residency in Israel was relatively simple.

On my first day at Tel Aviv Medical Center (TLVMC), riding up to the labor ward on the third floor, I was accompanied, among the new colleagues, by a beautiful platter of food being delivered somewhere. I was delighted to be offered an item from the platter. This exemplifies the sharing kind culture I have found throughout my time at TLVMC.

Anesthesia practice in Israel is on a world par level. I am lucky to work in the best Anesthesia department in Israel. My work day is full of patient care, mainly in the Labor ward; simulations; and research. I have no doubt that if I had stayed in the UK, my career would not look anything like it is today in terms of academic achievements, international connections, and fulfillment at work. I can’t imagine working in a department that is more supportive, with colleagues who are smart, kind, warm, and from many countries and backgrounds.
In summary, work as an anesthesiologist in TLVMC is not only professionally rewarding, but colleagues are friendly and supportive. And did I mention we are 10 minutes from the beach in one of the top foodie cities in the world?

Dr. Dani Halpern-Lent

Internal Medicine & Pediatrics

I made aliya in August 2023 from Boston, Massachusetts. I arrived at ichilov for my histaklut. Despite my non-traditional path of needing to go through a histaklut in two specialties, they were very accommodating. Over the span of 6 months I rotated through both the pediatric and internal medicine departments. The people I met were very welcoming and eager for me to participate in the care of patients. After October 7th, they supported my desire to volunteer. I spent 2 months teaching in the simulation center for the many military troops that came through for extra training.
Deciding to stay on as an internal medicine attending at ichilov was easy. I am surrounded by supportive colleagues, attentive residents and interesting patients. International physicians will easily find a home at ichilov in which they will be respected and their contributions welcomed.

Dr. Raphael Cooper,

Anesthetist

I made aliya from the UK to Modiin aged 35 in the middle of my anesthesiology residency. I was nervous about adapting to a new culture and style of working, communicating in Hebrew and commuting to work.
Getting to Ichilov turned out to be easy by train, bus or road. It took a while to adapt to the culture and style of working, but I was helped by the friendly, accepting nature of my colleagues and the fact that almost everyone here speaks English pretty fluently. I’ve been told that speaking English with a native accent makes you sound clever no matter what you say - so it’s recommended!
Nowhere is perfect, and in Israel you should be prepared for a pay cut and long working hours. However, these things can be balanced out by the many perks of the job - including meals, gifts on holidays, special occasions and good annual leave allowance (in addition to Jewish Festivals). All in all, I’m very happy working here and I'm sure you will be too.
B’hatzlacha with your aliya!

Dr. Tali Capua

Pediatrician

I arrived to Israel after completing my residency in pediatrics in New York. I was welcomed by the head of the pediatric department at Ichilov. He encouraged me to make use of my histaklut time to really learn how medicine is practiced in Israel. In retrospect, it was the year I learnt the most during my education. I was welcomed to the Ichilov family and continued to complete my pediatric ER fellowship there. My Ichilov family has supported me through happy and difficult times. Today I run the simulation center as well as work in the pediatric ER and wake up loving what I do. Anyone who is looking for an amazing Israeli institution that provides both cutting edge medicine and a warm family experience will be most welcome at Ichilov.

Dr. Shachar Shimonovich

Trauma Surgeon

I was born in Israel, but have lived most of my adult life in the United States. After medical school, I completed training in both General Surgery and Trauma on the East Coast. Early during training my wife and I decided that moving to Israel was in the cards. We wanted our children to be raised not only in a Jewish environment, but an Israeli environment. When deciding how to translate my career to an Israeli career, there were many challenges. I was fortunate to have found a position as a trauma surgeon in Ichilov. Not only was I able to utilize, grow, and develop my skills as a trauma surgeon - the institution gave me complete backing to continue training in critical care medicine. Today, I work as an attending physician in the Department of Surgery, and am continuing my training as a Fellow in the Department of Anesthesia, Division of Critical Care Medicine. Ichilov was the only institution I found that allowed me the flexibility to pursue my American career in Israel - and for that I remain incredibly grateful. If like our family, you're looking for a life in Israel - I urge you to look at Ichilov as a world class institution with the flexibility to define your career goals.