A new government program aims to integrate immigrant doctors into Israel’s healthcare system quickly, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry says.
“The ‘Path to Medicine’ program combines professional training with an important absorption process for immigrant doctors,” Aliyah and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer says, speeding up a licensing process that many new arrivals find frustratingly slow while easing professional and social integration.
The eight-month program includes preparation for the government licensing exam, lessons in clinical Hebrew, and training in patient communication, medical documentation, and hospital procedures, the ministry says. Participants will also take part in hospital tours, lectures, mentorship programs and exposure to various medical specialties.
New immigrants are invaluable additions to Israel’s medical sector, which suffers from continued workforce shortages, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry says. Doctors who choose to live and work in Israel’s Negev and Galilee regions, where the need for doctors is highest, are eligible for large grants.
Over the past two years, more than 1,000 immigrant doctors have joined Israel’s healthcare system, with hundreds more expected this year, the ministry notes.
We can't do this work alone.
The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.
There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
As a Times of Israel reporter, I’m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit’s. But my colleagues and I can't do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.
— Stav Levaton, military reporter
Yes, I'll join
Yes, I'll join
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From 
