A Different View of the Middle East (original) (raw)

The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association March 2014 | Vol 114 | No. 3 During the time between the last rotation of medical school and the start of residency, many graduates relax and let loose; others move to their new location and learn the lay of the land. For me, I used the time to volunteer overseas. In April 2013, I was awarded the Rossnick Humanitarian Grant from the American Osteopathic Foundation. My mission was to provide volunteer medical care for 2 extremely diverse populations in Israel: the Bedouin people in the South of Israel, who are of the Islamic faith, and the Jewish people in the West Bank. My friends and family were incredulous when I told them that I would be spending half of my time caring for the Bedouin people. I am an Orthodox Jew. Jewish individuals and Muslim individuals are not thought to get along at all—at least not in the Middle East. My response was 2 pronged: (1) as a physician whose focus has been on public health, I have the ability and...