ABOUT
The Israel initiative started in the Spring of 2018. This initiative offers a unique opportunity for dental students to learn about Israel’s healthcare, research and dental education systems as well as its extraordinary culture and history.
Dental students and a faculty member travel for approximately two weeks to various cities and locations throughout the country. They visit the two dental schools in Israel for several days where they attend lectures and seminars, observe clinical cases, learn about dental education and dental care in Israel, and share time with Israeli dental students. They visit a hospital with underground facilities to be used during war at the Galilee Medical Center and that currently provides care to Syrian civilians who have been caught in the crossfire of the ongoing war. They also visit a free community dental clinic for the underserved where many international dentists donate their time. Another visit is to an extraordinary facility for children with disabilities, Shalva.
On the cultural and historical side, they visit places like the Golan Heights, Acco, Haifa, Druze villages, Sea of Galilee, the 'Valley of Tears', the Jordan River Valley, one of the few remaining kibbutzim (communal farms) still operating according to the old socialist ways, ruins of Bet Shean/Scythopolis, the Palmac, the Ayalon Institute, Sarona market, Old Jaffa, Latrun Fort, Masada, the Dead Sea, Yad Vashem, and many outstanding historical/cultural/religious sites in Jerusalem.
Students and faculty prepare the trip months in advance in regular meetings where specific issues like epidemiology of oral diseases in Israel or recent political events are presented and discussed. Students also register for the GIOCH elective (Winter semester) where they share their learning with students participating in other Global Initiatives.
This initiative is funded by an endowment provided by Drs. Margo and Douglas Woll and individual donations.
2018
For two weeks in 2018, Mario Antonioni, Thomas Paron, Rahul Srivastava, Robert Miller, and Dr. Carlos Gonzalez-Cabezas visited Israel for a once in a life time experience to learn about dentistry, global health, research, culture, politics, and much more. To learn more about the 2018 Israel Initiative, please watch the presentation at the end of the page and the videos below. This extraordinary initiative was possible thanks to a major endowment provided by Drs. Margo and Douglas Woll and several individual donations.
Rahul learning about recent Israel history.
Mario showing a dental needle that was placed in his hand under hypnosis.
Dr. Gonzalez and Dr. Zvi Artzi at the graduate clinic of the School of Dental Medicine of Tel Aviv University. Dr. Artzi is the Program Director of the Postgraduate Program in Periodontology and a wonderful host during our visit.
Rob at the Bahai gardens in Haifa.
Tom ready to observe interesting cases in the graduate clinics.
Tel Aviv, TAU School of Dental Medicine, Haifa, Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, and more.
Jerusalem, Hadassah School Of Dental Medicine, Dead Sea, and Masada.
Students thanking sponsors.