Feinberg Spotlight
December 2007

Wael Noor El-Nachef, MD Class of 2010

Palestine Medical Relief Society
Palestine Children's Relief Fund
Ramallah, West Bank

Summer 2007


What did you gain from your global health experience?

I gained an appreciation for the importance of "bearing witness" to the challenges that people face in conflict and resource-poor settings. Although I obviously could not single-handedly alleviate all the barriers to health access that Palestinians face, sincerely listening to patients' stories seemed to re-affirm their agency, even in the midst of occupation and political instability.

I also learned how intimately intertwined service and advocacy can be-- by offering something tangible to people in need, we are able to enter into their lives and understand their circumstances more fully; and this understanding can more faithfully inform our efforts in education and advocacy.

How has this experience enhanced your medical training and how will it help you in the future as a doctor?

This experience truly helped me conceptualize "Medicine" in several dimensions, from biomedical science to health as a human right. I now envision my future career as a physician to encompass service, research and advocacy, with the underserved as the primary beneficiaries of my efforts.

Pictures display images of: the mobile clinics to Ramallah and nearby villages, other medical volunteers, war-torn areas in the West Bank.

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