Itzhak Brook MD, MSc
Georgetown University
The Yom Kippur War, A battalion physician’s experience of a war that shaped Israel and the Middle East. The historical background and long term implications of the Six Day and Yom Kippur Wars on the Israeli society and peace in the Middle East.
Itzhak Brook, MD, is a Professor of Pediatrics at Georgetown University in Washington DC and the past chairperson of the Anti-infective Drug Advisory Committee of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
He was born and raised in Haifa, Israel; graduated from Hareali Haivri High School; earning his medical degree from Hebrew University, Hadassah School of Medicine, in Jerusalem. Dr Brook completed his pediatrics training at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot, Israel. He served in the Israeli army as a medic in the Six Day War in 1967 and as a battalion physician during the Yom Kippur war in 1973. Subsequently, he completed a fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Brook served in the US Navy for 27 years.
Dr. Brook authored the book ""In the Sands of Sinai: a Physician’s Account of the Yom Kippur War."" This book recounts his personal experiences as a battalion physician during that time. It describes how he coped with his soldiers’ medical and psychological issues, the daily struggle of survival in the battle zone, the resourcefulness exhibited during the time of war and the struggle to preserve one’s humanity in the midst of it all.
Dr. Brook has authored six medical textbooks and has published many book chapters and manuscripts on the topics of infectious diseases and patient advocacy. He is an editor, associate editor and member of the editorial board of several medical journals and the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance. He also authored the book: “My voice: a physician’s personal experience with throat cancer.” Dr. Brook is a board member of the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance and the recipient of the 2012 J. Conley Medical Ethics Lectureship Award by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Brook is the recipient of three Defense Meritorious Service Medals for exceptional Meritorious Service for the Armed Forces of the United States (1993, 2000, 2006).
Speaking Topics: The Six-Day and Yom Kippur Wars: Historical and long term perspectives.