It is my pleasure to welcome you to our MSIH website. I have been privileged to be associated with the school since moving to Israel over twenty years ago. Initially as Director of the Internal Medicine Clerkship, then as Associate Director for Academic Affairs, and now as the school’s Director. In all these capacities I have been privileged to gain much more than I have given from the fantastic MSIH students and faculty. They come to our school from many different countries, cultures and backgrounds, and they are what makes our school special. Each has their unique perspectives and strengths which come together to create the MSIH family.
MSIH was the first medical school established with the expressed purpose of training young doctors for careers in global medicine. Our graduates have had the privilege to care for patients around the world and have become leaders in various global health organizations. With that said, at MSIH we define global health broadly and believe that one can practice global health wherever one chooses to practice, locally or internationally. The core MSIH values are of service and commitment to one’s patients and community. We embrace the World Health Organization’s definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Our graduates strive to provide this holistic approach to healthcare and to the well-being of their patients.
One of the advantages of attending a boutique medical school like MSIH is that all of your classes take place in relatively small groups and you are able to form deep connections with your classmates and faculty. At MSIH, we provide a great deal of support for our students. We encourage active learning, discussion and student participation. At our teaching hospitals and outpatient clinics you will see a wide variety of patients from many backgrounds and you will be taught by outstanding physicians, many of whom have completed residencies or fellowships at prestigious teaching institutions in the United States. After completing your studies at MSIH, you will be well-prepared to enter excellent residencies in North America or in Israel.
At MSIH we believe the practice of medicine is a privilege not a burden, a calling and not simply a profession. We look forward to welcoming you to our family.
Alan Jotkowitz MD, MHA