MDA israel

After finishing high school, Shai came across Magen David Adom's National Service paramedic program, Kapam, on social media and immediately knew it was the opportunity she had been searching for. "I realized I wasn't just joining MDA," Shai recalled. "I was beginning a journey that would teach me how to care for people when they need us most."

Over the course of a year, Shai completed months of intensive classroom training, hospital rotations, and dozens of supervised ambulance shifts before earning her certification as a paramedic. Every stage of the program prepared her for the responsibility of caring for patients when every second counts. "Every stage prepares you for the next one," she said. "By the time you're treating patients, you know you've earned the responsibility."

Today, that responsibility follows her on every shift. Some emergencies stay with her because of how dramatic they are. Others because of how personal they become.

One of the moments Shai remembers most involved a young boy experiencing his first severe asthma attack. "When we arrived, he could barely breathe, and his mother was terrified," Shai recalled. "We treated him, reassured her that he was going to be okay, and within minutes he was breathing comfortably again. Watching him relax and fall asleep in his mother's arms was an incredible feeling."

For Shai, that moment became a reminder that emergency medicine is about far more than treating a patient. "The moment I saw him breathing comfortably again and his mother's face change from panic to relief, I realized why I chose this profession. Sometimes, the greatest medicine you can give a family is hope."

Since then, Shai has responded to countless emergencies, including helping resuscitate a man who suffered cardiac arrest after choking during lunch. Working alongside fellow MDA teams, she helped remove the airway obstruction and restore his pulse. 

"When his family arrived, I was able to explain everything that had happened," she said. "Being there not only for the patient, but also for the people waiting and hoping beside them, is one of the greatest privileges of this work."

Every patient, every shift, and every lesson has only strengthened one conviction. "I've wanted to become a doctor since I was little," Shai said. "Joining MDA confirmed that the medical world is where I belong."

Today, Shai continues serving as an MDA paramedic through her National Service while preparing for the next step toward medical school. The experiences she has gained on the ambulance have reinforced not only her passion for emergency medicine, but also her belief that there is no greater privilege in life than being there for someone on the day they need help most.

For young people considering MDA's Kapam program, Shai has a simple message: "Don't be afraid to go after what you want. If helping people is your dream, take the opportunity. The experience, the people you meet, and the lives you touch will stay with you forever."

Every year, MDA's Kapam program gives young adults the opportunity to become certified paramedics while serving communities across Israel. For Shai, it became far more than a year of National Service. It became the place where her dream became a calling.

Interested in beginning your own journey? Learn more about Magen David Adom's Kapam National Service paramedic program by contacting us through our social media channels or reaching out to the Moked Mitnadvim (Volunteer Recruitment Center). We look forward to welcoming you in the next generation of MDA paramedics.