When every day is life or death…reality is the ultimate drama!
Israel’s Sheba Medical Center was the Star of a “Grey’s Anatomy” Style Docudrama
By Steve K. Walz
Israel’s hottest prime-time summer TV series was “The Interns”, a riveting 7-part docudrama that took viewers inside Sheba Medical Center, the largest hospital in the country and the Middle East. The series followed the lives of talented, young medical professionals as they juggle their stressful professional and personal lives. With its themed episodes and compelling characters - which included a heart-throb heart surgeon who is dating Shachar Peer, Israel’s former World Tennis Association superstar - “The Interns” made “Grey’s Anatomy” (which is also seen in Israel), look pale by comparison.
The handsome and dynamic Israeli heart-surgeon, Dr. Eilon Ram took all of the local media buzz surrounding the show and his relationship with the tennis icon, in stride. “They filmed for about 6 months and ironically started even before I started dating Shachar,” Dr. Ram revealed in an exclusive interview. “The doctors didn’t really feel or were influenced by the cameras rolling all the time. They (the cameras) were like a fly on the wall and never interfered with what we were doing. However, when we felt that some of the scenes did not benefit the patients, we told them to stop filming. You see and feel the pressure and witnessing the world of how we treat really sick patients.”
Close to 6,000 health professionals provide over 4 million treatments and medical tests to more than 1.5 million patients a year at Sheba Medical Center, which spans over 200 acres of land in Ramat Gan (near Tel Aviv). Dr. Ram plays an integral role as both a heart surgeon, doctor and researcher at Sheba’s cutting-edge Olga and Lev Leviev Heart Center, which was donated by Israeli business mogul Lev Leviev.
Dr. Ram, who is now in his second year as a heart surgeon at Sheba, admitted that he enjoys every minute of his physically and emotionally draining profession. “For the average viewer, I’m sure that my work and the other doctors shown in the series, is very interesting. I’m a young up and coming doctor who cares about every patient, even when they might be angry with me or their situation. These are real people with very serious medical problems and everyone sees that I want to succeed and heal them, working around the clock, being on call and yes, it takes a toll on you. This is our life.”
Dating a handsome and successful Jewish doctor might be almost every mother’s dream for their daughter, but the realities of dating a doctor on call 24/7 can be taxing. “The Interns” also explored the rollercoaster aspects of Dr. Ram’s relationship with Peer.
“Shachar was very supportive of becoming a part of the story. She did it for me because we both wanted to show people how my profession can affect a relationship over time,” added Dr. Ram.
Peer, 30, who retired from professional tennis earlier this year due to lingering injuries, after competing on the WTA circuit for 11 years, also admitted in several interviews that her globe-trotting curtailed the possibility of having a stable relationship. Now, she’s seen as the one who must show patience, as her doctor boyfriend tends to his patients.
Feedback from viewers, critics and the production company, Keshet International, which is shopping the format abroad to other TV networks has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Never is my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would be part of a TV series. The compliments have been amazing but my goal is to be the best heart surgeon I can be and working at Sheba has been a fascinating adventure,” confessed Dr. Ram.
