3 Reasons to Study Medicine in Israel in English

While searching for the perfect medical school, you might have thought about looking at schools abroad. Though it is a personal decision, you are likely weighing many factors, beyond just a list of courses. If you are passionate about studying to be a physician––especially one that focuses on a field such as global health–-you probably want a medical school experience that will be as unique as your career path. This means learning skills that prepare you for work in traditional as well as non-traditional settings, for thinking outside the box, and for treating your patients with a holistic perspective.

This article explains why choosing to study medicine in Israel, in English, can help you learn those skills, and you can learn about some of the benefits it will bring, both in the long and short term.

Diversity of patients and students

When studying medicine, it’s important to get a thorough understanding of health issues so that you can not only treat the patient but also address the underlying cause. While studying at MSIH, you will be able to experience Israel, treat a diverse set of patients and learn alongside Israeli students.

In our M.D. program, you will undertake medical rotations and clerkships in Israeli medical centers, and treat patients from a wide range of nationalities, ethnicities, and religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. The diverse demographics of Southern Israel mean that you’ll be treating Hebrew speaking patients and Arabic-speaking Bedouin patients alongside Russian and Ethiopian immigrants.

You’ll also get to meet and work with people–-both students and staff–- who have varying types of experience and come from non-traditional backgrounds, all of which will add to your understanding of both global and local approaches.

Hands-on learning

Being able to experience first hand what it is like to work in resource-scarce regions is crucial to your development as a physician. At MSIH, not only are you able to complete three years of study and training in Israel and clinical rotations in the U.S., but you also have the opportunity to complete an eight-week global health clerkship at one of our sites across the world. This clerkship provides invaluable hands-on experience with the environmental, economic, cultural and social issues that affect people’s health in this area.

All of the rotations are in under-resourced clinical settings, allowing the students to experience how physicians and medical practitioners in different cultures promote health and quality care despite limited resources.

Gain life experience

During medical school, it’s important to step away from your coursework and be involved directly with local communities. MSIH’s student organizations can help connect you with people from all walks of life, both within and outside the medical community. For example, the Global Health Made Local group pairs MSIH students with Israeli medical students to help local families manage illness and navigate the healthcare system.

There is also the Ethics Advisory Committee, which organizes lectures, debates and a book club related to ethics education and awareness, and the Bedouin Tutoring Program, which allows MSIH students to teach English to high school students at a school in a Bedouin village.

In addition to these student organizations, many students at MSIH are actively involved in community outreach programs to strengthen underprivileged communities in the region.

As we incorporate global health components into all four years of the core curriculum, you will learn to be a highly-skilled physician with the expertise of not just medicine, but also ethics and socioeconomic factors. Being able to study in an English-language program also means you will be able to apply for residencies in the U.S. and Canada.