Israel and medicine have formed the themes that run through my life — often intertwining, and each enhancing the other. They both began with my father, a doctor and staunch Zionist. But while my parents taught me to love Israel, my father never encouraged me to follow his career path. Trying to protect his children from the challenges he faced every day, he repeatedly impressed on me that doctors live a demanding lifestyle. But it didn’t help; I felt drawn to medicine.
I felt drawn to Israel as well. My family had visited Israel when I was young, but I wanted to get to know the country better. My senior year of high school seemed like the perfect time to explore life outside Ventura, California, before beginning the college-career track. I spent a semester abroad through the Eisendrath International Exchange (EIE), a program of the Union for Reform Judaism.
In Israel, I took all my regular high school classes, as well as Hebrew and Jewish history. I toured the country and spent a week in the Israeli army. I also traveled to Poland and Prague to learn about the Holocaust, which was especially meaningful to me as the grandson of a survivor. The entire experience opened my eyes to my culture, my roots, and my heritage.
That semester whetted my appetite to spend more time in Israel. So, after my freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison — where I double majored in biology and Hebrew and Semitic studies — I spent the summer working on a Magen David Adom ambulance in Haifa with Masa Israel Journey. While medicine appealed to me, I had never interacted with patients, so this experience served as a test for my medical aspirations. Fortunately, that summer only reinforced my ambitions. It also introduced me to Israel’s diverse population; I cared for Arabs, Russians, Ethiopians, and others. I remained in Israel for my sophomore year, studying abroad at Hebrew University.
The convergence of my developing knowledge of medicine and my passion for service motivated me to maximize my impact. Additionally, the more time I spent in Israel, the more I yearned to be connected to other Jews in the Jewish state. So, after graduating college in Wisconsin, I decided to pause before plunging into medical school.
I took my relationship with Israel to the next level by making aliyah and enlisting in the IDF. I did this through Garin Tzabar, a group that brings lone soldiers together into surrogate families and guides them through their aliyah and army experience. Serving in the IDF allowed me to give myself to Israel, and deepen the commitment to others that made me pursue medicine in the first place.
When I entered the IDF, I knew right away that I wanted to be a combat medic in the paratroopers unit. I passed the qualifications to be a paratrooper, but, as a non-native Hebrew speaker, I had to work hard to prove myself worthy of being a combat medic. Ultimately, I succeeded in fulfilling my dream of protecting the Jewish people by using my medical abilities to heal those defending the Jewish state.
While in the army, I applied to medical schools in Israel and the US. In the end, I made the difficult decision to leave Israel and attend the Medical College of Wisconsin. During the 10 months between my discharge and the start of my program, I worked as a counselor for EIE, the high school study abroad program that had begun my journey with Israel. Inspiring other North American Jews to follow in my path felt like closing the circle. I was so excited when one of my students went on to attend medical school in Israel — I knew I had made an impact.
Recently, I completed my Anesthesiology residency at the University of North Carolina Hospital. I am starting a one-year fellowship in pediatric anesthesia, and then I will finally finish my training and become a practicing anesthesiologist. I try to visit Israel every year, and every time, it is wrenching to leave. As my growing medical expertise feeds my desire to serve others, I still have not given up on the possibility of practicing medicine in Israel.
Spending time in Israel with EIE, Masa, and Garin Tzabar was the best decision I could have made for myself, and I am confident that the time I spent serving Israel, contributing to something greater than myself, will make me a better physician. The long hours and stressful environment of the army was excellent preparation for medical residency and fellowship. But, more importantly, my journey has allowed me to develop as a person, granting me more compassion, endurance, and resilience — and my future patients will reap the benefits.
Mike Richman is currently pursuing a fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesia at Seattle Children’s Hospital and is a Masa Israel alumnus.