BGU Student Profile: Sara Tal Kalman
March 16, 2011
Department: Emergency Medicine
Degree Program: B.A., second year
Age: 23
Hometown: Jerusalem
What is your special interest?
My concern is the availability of medicine. I think it is imperative that medical care be available for everyone. I’m also interested in people–I like meeting and learning about new people from different walks of life.
Why did you choose BGU?
BGU is the only university in Israel that offers the degree I’m studying for. Also I wanted to go to a university with an interesting campus life and strong involvement with the community. I haven’t been disappointed on either count.
What do you like most about BGU? Your program?
I really like the campus life. I like my fellow students, and the atmosphere here, which is a mixture of academic learning and new life experiences. BGU is very hands on. I spend a lot of time on ambulances and in the hospital, learning practical things and meeting new people, including the hospital staff and patients. I have a lot of really great interesting lectures, too, and I think it’s the combination of the theoretical and practical that makes my program such a success.
Why is what you’re studying important?
I think emergency medicine speaks for itself. Especially in Israel, where apart from the security situation, we have an unfortunately high rate of motor vehicle accidents, not to mention the day-to-day illnesses that are a part of life. In medicine, the first few minutes can be critical and can make all the difference to the outcome for patients and their families. In my experience from a psychological point of view, the first moments of a crisis are usually the most harrowing for people, and I think it is important to provide support during that time.
What do you find special at BGU?
BGU is a very warm, friendly and welcoming university. And Beer-Sheva is a very warm, friendly and welcoming town. The University puts a lot of emphasis on supporting the people who need help, both the students who study here and the community around it. And what is so great is that there are a lot of practical solutions, like extra study hours, or scholarships for deserving students, and programs for involvement in Beer-Sheva.
Are you working as well as studying?
Like most students, I am currently holding down a number of jobs. I work as a first aid instructor in schools, and I’m just finishing a 44-hour course for a girls’ boarding school in Dimona. In addition, I work in the hospital. Through an innovative program that was arranged by the University, students come in a few evenings and in the morning to draw blood for tests, put in I.V. s and perform patient ECGs. It gives the doctors a lot of help –we have a shortage of them in Israel–and it’s a way for us to earn some money and gain experience.
Do you also volunteer?
I’ve been a volunteer with Magen David Adom (the Israeli Red Cross) for the past seven years. I started my work on the ambulances in Jerusalem during the first intifada, and have never wanted to stop. It’s something I love doing, and one of the reasons I chose a medicine-related degree. At the beginning of last year I also started volunteering for the Israeli AIDS task force. I spend a couple of hours a week at the Beer-Sheva branch counseling people about safe sex, and doing AIDS tests. Also, I recently got voted onto the student council, which is a chance for me to get more involved and suggest changes that could help other students with their studies.
Do you receive financial support from BGU?
I am part of the Open Apartments Program. I spend time doing various projects in my neighborhood, and in return receive free housing from the University. This is my second year as part of the project. I’m running an English class for the children who need help with their schooling. It is one of the ways that I can feel involved in the community itself, rather than just being a student.
What have you learned that surprised you?
How much there is left to learn. Unfortunately there are only so many hours in a day.
Do you have a plan for the future?
I’m enjoying what I am doing at the moment, and look forward to new opportunities that may come my way. Long-range, I hope to spend my time doing something I think is important, and have fun doing it! I hope to achieve a lot. At the moment I’m trying to find practical ways to put interesting hopes and ideas into practice.
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