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🇮🇱 Israel /Health & Science

The doctors choosing Israel in a time of war

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Psychiatrist Lance Dunlop is leaving a successful practice in Alaska to work at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, Israel.
  • Dunlop, 60, previously lived in Israel for several years in his youth, served in the IDF, and recently returned on military deployment, reigniting his desire to live there.
  • He attended MedEx, an event connecting North American medical professionals with Israeli healthcare employers, highlighting a trend of foreign doctors seeking to work in Israel.

Dr. Lance Dunlop, a psychiatrist from Alaska, is preparing to move to Haifa, Israel, to begin working at Rambam Health Care Campus. Though he has a fulfilling life in the United States, Dunlop feels a strong pull to live in Israel, a country that has experienced significant conflict.

Part of it's scary. I love my life here. I have a really, really good life. But I know that I'm not going to be happy unless I'm in Israel.

— Lance DunlopDunlop explains his motivation for leaving his life in Alaska to move to Israel.

Dunlop's connection to Israel spans decades. He first came to the country at 18 for a year-long program and ended up staying, making Aliyah and serving four years in the Israel Defense Forces, including combat in Lebanon. He pursued medical studies in the U.S. and joined the Army Reserve. A recent deployment to Israel with an American air-defense unit rekindled his deep-seated desire to return.

You have to be freaking brilliant

— Lance DunlopDunlop reflects on why he did not pursue medical school in Israel.

He met with recruiters at MedEx, an event organized by Nefesh B'Nefesh and Israeli ministries. This event has become a key pathway for international medical professionals to integrate into Israel's healthcare system. Dunlop's decision, shared while still technically in the U.S. Army, underscores a personal commitment to Israel that transcends his established life in Alaska.

Because I'm an American soldier

— Lance DunlopDunlop recounts a moment of realization during his recent military deployment to Israel.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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