When the graduates of the MSIH class of 2024 relate to their children how they commenced medical school in Israel, they’ll say something like this: “I’ll never forget how we started. It was during the 2020 pandemic and we couldn’t travel, so I had to watch lectures from my bedroom in {enter place} through video chat. I didn’t get to meet my classmates properly until I got to Israel {enter time} later.”
This is the true disadvantage of joining MSIH virtually. The school is small and unique and if there’s a common thread that runs through every student or graduate, it’s how much they loved learning with a group of like-minded people who were driven to improve the world.
None-the-less, Coronavirus demands that studies begin from outside Israel and although separated by an ocean, MSIH welcomes all 33 new faces to the Class of 2024.
Like always, this year’s class is an eclectic collection of nationalities, histories, and academic backgrounds. As well as the traditional biology and life-sciences majors, we have accountants, psychologists, artists, and finance and business administrators. As every year, we welcome our alumni of the Peace Corps. Many have preceded you and are today using skills and knowledge picked up at MSIH in all corners of the globe.
Class bios reveal that students have volunteered or worked in India, South America, Spain, Morocco, Costa Rica, Togo, South Africa, Cambodia, Seychelles, Chile, Italy, Zambia, China, the WHO in Denmark (perhaps with MSIH alumnus, Patrick O’Connor?) and even the New York City Fire Department!
While most students are from North America, some have dual citizenship with Israel. We welcome our student from China – you join a small but enthusiastic group from your country. As always, we have a sprinkling of Europeans.
In its 22 years of existence, MSIH has graduated more than 600 physicians. To this day, it remains a close family of enthusiastic, dedicated, adventurous, and committed Global Health physicians – who are doing outstanding work worldwide to help those most in need.
The class of 2024 is warmly welcomed into our fold.
