Israel's first Bedouin woman doctor

Israel's first Bedouin woman doctor
(06.14.06, 21:44)


Dr. Rania Okabi who graduated from Ben Gurion medicine school Wednesday, is the first woman physician in her community. While proud to set an example for younger girls, she also worries her profession may reduce her chances of finding a husband
Anat Bershkovsky


Among the 58 graduates of the Ben Gurion University Medical School who received their doctoral degrees Wednesday, Rania Okabi (26) stood out as the first Bedouin woman in the country to become a physician.


Dr. Okabi, who specialized in gynecology and obstetrics at the Rambam Hospital in Haifa in the past year, hopes that her achievement will set an example for all Bedouin girls.


Okabi is one of the first graduates of a project initiated by the Beer Sheva university, aimed at encouraging high school students to enter paramedical fields, thus increasing their chances of being accepted to medical studies in university. Okabi hopes that more Bedouin women will follow in her footsteps and choose to become doctors.


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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3263065,00.html