A hug from afar: What did Australia's trauma doctors discover when they arrived in Israel?

A delegation of senior trauma doctors from Australia visited Israel for mutual learning and training. Dr. Shmuel, who established a pediatric trauma service, spoke about collaboration with the 'Messer' center at Sheba. The visit aimed to show another side of the relationship amid rising antisemitism. The partnership will include staff exchanges, research, and innovation, with a conference in Sydney in November.

A delegation of senior trauma doctors from Australia arrived in Israel earlier this month for a special medical mission, whose official purpose is ongoing learning and training to improve trauma care in both countries. Dr. Shmuel, who led the connection, spoke about a program focused on mutual learning and training, emphasizing the professional dialogue that developed at the 'Messer' center at Sheba, a global leader in simulation-based medical education. One of the key ideas is bringing a large team from Australia to Israel to share expertise and acquire skills to advance medical simulation in Australia. Dr. Shmuel, who established the first dedicated pediatric trauma service at 'Schneider', completed about 18 months of training at Alfred Hospital in Australia before returning in May 2023. He noted that the skills and connections he developed there were critical after October 7. The visit also aimed to show another side of the relationship between the countries amid rising antisemitism and political tensions. The partnership is expected to develop into staff exchanges, binational research, and innovation, with a first conference in Sydney on November 19.