Meet Lee Azolai

Meet Lee Azolai, 29, a second-year student at Bar-Ilan University’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, and the new President of the Medical Student Association of the Galilee. Lee, who commenced his medical studies in Prague, is now enrolled in the Faculty’s three-year MD study track for Israelis who completed three years of pre-clinical medical studies abroad. When his clinical studies were put on hold for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Lee and fellow students began volunteering – assisting Magen David Adom with Coronavirus testing, at first in patients’ homes; then at drive-through sites. The volunteers were also instrumental in delivering medicine and food to the elderly, and in assisting hospital staff in the Galilee.

Lee, who resides in Nahariya, served in an elite IDF Unit. He later worked in security in Vienna, and traveled to India, Nepal and Thailand, before starting his medical training.

Why I chose to study this area:

I cannot imagine studying any other subject but medicine. Every day we give of ourselves for the good of society, which makes the field so special. I chose to come back to Israel and complete my medical studies here at the Azrieli Faculty, which is the only faculty with a program for Israeli medical students who studied abroad. I saw it as a good opportunity to return to Israel after almost six years abroad, and to live in the beautiful Galilee, with its diverse populations, including Orthodox and secular Jews, Muslims and Druze residents. It’s a multicultural area where we can learn more about our special country, and it’s also a place that needs change and young energy due to the large gaps between the country’s center and periphery.

What I enjoy most at BIU’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine:

Medicine has no boundaries. Every few weeks we go to another department and are exposed to new worlds – intellectually and also in terms of new patients and colleagues. In addition, I like being up north, with all the nature around the faculty. Each time we have a day off, we can easily go to sit near the Jordan River, hike in a nearby wadi or just enjoy the view surrounding the city of Safed.

Future plans:

I plan to specialize in neurosurgery and enjoy medical life in the hospital. I hope to take active part in different, important projects which can bring change to society. I hope to go to work every day with a smile, knowing that I am in a place where I can fulfil my potential. My more immediate goals, as the new president of the Medical Student Association of the Galilee, are to work to make student life in Israel’s north more comfortable, especially for those who are parents, and to try to improve transportation for Faculty students who have been placed in different area hospitals, to arrange more social events for students, bring fresh ideas for changing a few of the courses, and, in general, to get students more involved in promoting positive change.

My favorite corner on campus:

The library at the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, where I spend many hours focused in study.

What I will take with me from my Bar-Ilan University studies:

The knowledge, knowhow and flexibility to deal with the complicated situation often confronting doctors in the north, such as language barriers and different cultural norms when treating patients from the Orthodox community or from a Druze village. The fact that I’m learning at the Azrieli Faculty in the Galilee makes me more aware of the need to improve healthcare in the north and to encourage more like-minded individuals to come here and be part of the changes we need to bring to the north.