Physicians

Fellowship Program for Physicians | Licensing Overview | Medical Licensing | Specialty Licensing | Army Requirements | Working Conditions | Employment Opportunities | Knowledge of Hebrew | Current Job Openings | Working as a Volunteer

See Also: Medical Licensing Exam | Letter of Good Standing | Return to Employment Home Page

Nefesh B’Nefesh is providing significant grants and supplementary income packages to North American and British physicians who make Aliyah to Israel.

 Physicians from North America and the UK represent a valuable resource for the State of Israel, which is expecting to experience a shortage of doctors in the upcoming year, due to a convergence of factors such as population increase, the retirement of immigrant doctors (from the former USSR) and a noticeable trend of doctors in Israel leaving the medical profession.

The growing need for quality physicians throughout Israel has provided the impetus for a new project created jointly by Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Legacy Foundation, the Physician Aliyah Program, which is a fellowship offering grants totaling approximately $60,000 per participant.

Doctors who participate in this program can benefit from significant financial grants provided in the form of:

• an initial fellowship grant upon arrival in Israel, and
• monthly supplementary income for the first two years

Eligibility for Physician Fellowship

Please note that Nefesh B'Nefesh may at any time change the terms and conditions for Financial Eligibility.  Please check our website regularly for any changes.  Please also note that all financial records are kept in utmost confidentiality.

• Applicants for financial assistance must be residents of  either the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom.
• Financial assistance is awarded to individuals or families based on financial need.  Applicants who are assessed as having sufficient funds for Aliyah will not be awarded financial assistance.  If you are unsure as to whether or not you have sufficient funds to be considered eligible for financial assistance, please feel free to contact our Executive Director, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, directly via email (yfass@nbn.org.il) before starting the application process.
• Both singles and families are eligible for financial assistance.
• Applicants must NOT have made Aliyah previously.
• Individuals who already reside in Israel on tourist, A1A, or student visas are eligible for financial assistance, providing they have opened an Aliyah file (Tik Aliyah) with the Jewish Agency.  
• Grants will only be awarded to applicants who have been approved for Aliyah by the Jewish Agency.  
• Applicants must make Aliyah
• Applicants must have had prior experience in Israel. (Preferably a pilot trip within two years previous to intended Aliyah date.)
• Grantees must have completed medical school & be licensed to practice medicine in the US, Canada or the UK.
• Grantees must be under the age of 45.
• Grantees must work in Israel a minimum of nine months a year.
• Grantees must commit to living in Israel for a minimum of three years. If the grantee emigrates from Israel within three years, the grantee will be obligated to return the grant to Nefesh B’Nefesh/Legacy Foundation.

Licensing

Medical licensing in Israel is a two step process:

1. Applying for medical licensing through the Ministry of Health (Misrad HaBriut).

2. Applying for recognition of specialization through the Scientific Council (Moetza HaMada'it).

Applying for Medical Licensing through Misrad Habriut

In order to practice medicine in Israel, you are required to hold a license issued by the Department of Medical Professions of the Ministry of Health. To be eligible for a license, you must have completed 6 years of study at a recognized medical school and internships (the length depends on your specialty). If you have not undergone an internship prior to Aliyah, you must pass an exam and do internship ("stage") in Israel.  However, if you have been practicing abroad in an internship, or have had at least one year of clinical work experience, there is no need to undergo internships.

Note:

• The licensing process through Misrad Habriut (in contrast to the licensing process through the Scientific Council, described below), can only begin after you declare Aliyah.
• If you make Aliyah before completing one year of internship, you will be required to take a difficult medical exam in order to obtain your Israeli medical license.

Documents to Bring

Note: All documents must be translated and notarized by an Israeli notary. See Notarization Services.

The following documents should be submitted to Misrad Habriut:

• 3 passport photos.
  
  
• 3 photocopies of an Israeli identity card, including the address stub and/or photocopy of passport with valid authorization for living in Israel. Note: Unlike the other documents listed here, it should not be necessary to receive a notary certification of a copy of a local teudat zehut for use in Israel but rather a lawyer certification of copy (which is less expensive) should suffice.
  
  
• Final diploma from a recognized university or certification from a university of completion of studies, completion of all requirements for the university, and entitlement to a degree in medicine to be awarded on a certain date.
  
  
• Official confirmation of beginning and ending date of studies. If this information does not appear on your diploma, you can request a letter from your medical school indicating the start and end date of your studies.
  
  
• Official confirmation of successful completion of internship, including details about the departments in which the internship took place and the amount of time spent in each department. Alternatively, official confirmation of work in clinical medicine for at least one year.
  
  
• Work license from abroad.
  
  
• Official work permits from the appropriate institutions, and notations regarding the starting and ending dates of work at each institution (in the relevant cases – a work card).
  
  
• Specialist’s certificate from abroad (in the relevant cases).
  
  
• Professional letter of good standing from the authorized bodies in the country from which the applicant immigrated to Israel. The letter confirms that there are no, and have not been any, disciplinary, negligence or professional ethics complaints against the physician.
  
• Registration form for the licensing examination (in 3 copies).

In the Jerusalem area, this documentation must be mailed to: Ben Tabai 2, Jerusalem, 93591. To confirm that your documentation has arrived, you can phone 02 670 5820.

Outside of the Greater Jerusalem area, you must bring these documents in person to your local Misrad Habriut office. For a listing of offices, see Misrad Habriut offices.

Applying for Specialty Licensing through the Moetza Mada'it

The Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association (Moetza Mada'it) is responsible for specialty licensing. This is a separate process from the general medical licensing procedure, which is done through the Ministry of Health (Misrad Habriut).

It is important to submit your documents to the Scientific Council before your Aliyah. Once the Scientific Council receives and processes your documents, they will send you a letter explaining what you need to do in order to be qualified as a specialist. The advantage of doing this pre-Aliyah is:

a. You will know beforehand how long you will need to wait in order to practice your specialty in Israel.  

b. This shortens the licensing process because it eliminates many months of waiting for an answer from the Scientific Council after you receive your general medical license.

Before your Aliyah, you can fax all your documents, including your age, medical school diplomas and transcripts, and experience to Prof. Ashkenazi, Chairman Scientific Council, fax: 03-575-1616, or you can mail them to: 35 Jabotinsky St. (Twin Towers 2), POB: 3566 Ramat Gan 52136 or email dana@ima.org.il. The documents that should be presented are the following:

1. A copy of the MD diploma.

2. A copy of the Board Certification / Specialty Certification.

3. A copy of the documents attesting to clinical experience since receiving the MD diploma - including internship and residency training and additional experience as a specialist.

4. A copy of the documents attesting to examinations taken. Note: Physicians who took the American boards are not required to provide this certification.

5. A copy of a license to practice medicine in Israel (if already exists).

6. A detailed CV (Curriculum Vitae) including details of specialty training. Be sure to note any hospital affiliation that you have, following your residency. Your training will be compared to the Israeli syllabus, therefore, it is important to build your CV in a manner that is maximally parallel to the Israeli equivalent.

7. A physician who has recently worked for a period of time in a recognized department in Israel should present a letter of recommendation from the Head of Department.

8. A physician who has already been accepted to a hospital department in Israel will state this in his application.

9. For the surgical specialties, Anesthetics, ENT, Ophthalmology and Obstetrics & Gynecology - a list of operations/procedures.

10. One photograph. 

All documents may be presented in Hebrew or in English. Note: For other languages, please attach a translation; only translations of documents in 1,2,3 and 4 need to be notarized.

For more details contact:
Dana Fishbain, Head of Resident’s Service Unit
The Scientific Council
Israel Medical Association
dana@ima.org.il
+972-3-6100416

The Specialty Committee can take two or three months to meet and evaluate credentials.  If the Scientific Council decides not to recognize the specialty immediately, it may ask for more course work, an extension of the residency ("hitmakhut"), or exams.  This is up to the committee and each applicant must be in direct contact with the Council to discuss his/her case individually.  The Council also requires that a specialist fulfill an observation period (“tkufa histaklut”) in a recognized department in Israel and present a letter of recommendation from the head of department in order for it to grant a specialty license. The observation period is usually 3 to 6 months long.

Experience has shown that those who have not passed American Board Certification may have a difficult time receiving IMA recognition. It is strongly recommended to pass the American Boards before making Aliyah.

In many specialties the Israeli residency period is 12-18 months longer than the American residency period. We highly recommend working in a hospital following your residency, because this can be counted towards the residency period in Israel. In addition, if you are working in private practice but maintain a part-time affiliation with a hospital, this might also be counted towards your Israeli residency period.

Israel Medical Association - Histadrut HaRefu'it B'Yisrael

The professional organization for doctors in Israel is the Histadrut HaRofeim B’Yisrael.  This organization deals with all matters concerning doctors, both professional such as examinations, and malpractice laws and personal such as salaries, malpractice insurance, etc.  It publishes a professional semi-monthly magazine as well as personal newsletter on a monthly basis.  They can be contacted at:

IMA - The Histadrut HaRefuit B’Yisrael
Twin Tower 2, Jabotinsky 35, POB 3566
Ramat Gan 52136
Tel:       03 610 0444;
Fax:      03 575 3303

Army Requirements for Physicians

There is currently a serious crisis in the Israeli army due to a significant shortage of physicians. As a result, a physician who makes Aliyah before his or her thirty-third birthday, will be drafted by the army for eighteen months. You will be paid a salary during this time.

The army is entitled to draft you after six months. You are allowed to defer the service for up to twenty-four months from your Aliyah date. If you are asked to serve before the six month period, you are asked to sign a waiver - and it is your right to refuse.

Physicians who are married with children (men and women) are still required to serve in the army. Religious women are usually exempt, but must obtain a "P’tor" (exemption notice) 90 days before the draft date. We recommend that you obtain the P’tor as one of your first steps post-Aliyah, and go to Lishkat Hagiyus (Recruitment Center) to get the official exemption. Please contact Nefesh B'Nefesh for more information.

For more information about army service, see Army Enlistment Requirements and Army Service for Women.

Working Conditions

Financial recompense for physician services in Israel varies significantly from normative salary expectations in North America. We recommend speaking to physicians who are already working in Israel, to gain a realistic sense of local salaries.

Salaries and conditions of employment between the various kupot cholim (health funds) vary.  You might need to "shop around" to work out the best package.

Employment Opportunities

Specialties in Demand

While there is a growing demand for physicians in general, there is a particularly strong need for specialists in such areas as geriatrics, radiology, internal medicine, nuclear medicine, anesthesiology, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, pathology, and surgery.

Working for U.S. Employers

Due to the advent of tele-radiology, radiology is one of the most in-demand and lucrative medical professions for North American Olim. Hospitals in the US will hire an Israeli radiologist (provided they have a U.S. license) and pay them to work the U.S. night shift.

Kupot Cholim

Each of the four health funds, Meuchedet, Macabbi, Clalit and Leumit has branches throughout the country.  The differences between the health funds lie mainly in the location of their facilities, the types of supplemental policies offered, and additional services offered within the framework of their facilities. Most large cities have a clinic in almost every district. Reimbursement is on a quarterly basis, and payment is based on the number of patients seen each quarter, but not, however, according to the number of each patient’s visits. Each fund has its own method of keeping track of patients, and at the beginning of each quarter, the doctor submits a list of patients seen in the previous quarter. The funds try to pay the doctor on a monthly, rather than a quarterly basis, with salaries readjusted in order to compensate for varying numbers of patients.

Hospitals

Many physicians combine working in the Kupot Cholim (health clinics) with work in a hospital. While salaries in the Kupot Cholim may be higher, hospitals offer a chance to work in a supportive environment with professional colleagues.

In most cases, the health funds cover hospitalization costs for their members. Conditions vary from hospital to hospital. Physicians employed directly by a hospital receive a standard pay according to seniority and specialty, supplemented by such items such as overtime and pensions.

Immediate Care Clinics - TEREM

In addition to working for the kupot or hospitals, another potential place of employment is TEREM.  Terem has a network of urgent and immediate care clinics, in and around the Jerusalem area (including branches in Bet Shemesh, Modi'in and Ma'ale Adumim).  In many ways, it functions as an ER, but separate from a hospital setting.  Terem has a long history of employing oleh doctors, and is particularly keen to employ doctors with an anglo background. You do not necessarily need to have a background in ER work (although this is desirable), and Terem employs family and general doctors, pediatricians, orthopedists, gynaecologists, internal medicine and more. For more details, please contact Daniel Lipczer (Personnel Manager) on 02-652-1748 or dl@terem.com.

Private Practice

Anyone who holds a medical license is entitled to open a private practice and set fees as they see fit. When you have a private practice you can see patients on a strictly private basis, or you can receive members of health funds and then be reimbursed by the funds. There are many practices that combine the two.

Knowledge of Hebrew

A good working knowledge of Hebrew is essential. It is strongly advised to take Ulpan upon arrival. Even where an immigrant doctor works entirely with speakers of his/her mother tongue, it is still necessary to deal with the various agencies that make up the Israeli medical network.  In addition to regular ulpan, Misrad Haklita offers an ulpan for medical professionals – shlav bet - and opens this class provided there are enough people interested. Be in touch with your branch of Misrad Haklita to find out when the next class will begin.

Current Job Openings

Working in a Volunteer Capacity

In order to obtain an Israeli medical license, it is necessary to become a citizen or a permanent resident of Israel.

However, it is possible for non-citizens to obtain limited licensing, designed for individuals who are licensed as physicians outside of Israel and want to volunteer in Israel hospitals in order to build up relationships with Israeli colleagues. This option is run through the Jewish Agency, the Israel Medical Association and the Israeli Ministry of Health.

The process of enabling a foreign physician to volunteer in an Israeli hospital, at any time, is quite specific and is as follows:

1. The physician must gather the following documents and send them to the local Jewish Agency representative or directly to Tnuat HaAliyah (contact: Benjamin Elharrar at benjamine@jafi.org ).  These forms must be presented in hardcopy form (no e-mails) and all copies must be notarized. 
   • Copy of diploma
   • Copy of license/registration
   • Copy of board certification
   • Copy of passport
   • 3 passport photos
   • A letter of good standing from relevant health authorities

The participant must also attach a check for $50 made out to the Jewish Agency to cover processing fees, which include fees to translate the documents into Hebrew.

• These documents will be forwarded to the Tnuat Aliyah offices where they will be processed (including translation into Hebrew). They will be passed through the Israeli Medical Association to the heads of the hospitals involved, and to the Ministry of Health for approval for a temporary/volunteer physician. 
• Once approved, the Ministry of Health will deliver to the relevant hospital a “Limited License” to employ the volunteer.  Please note that this license is limited to the precise period of time of volunteering, and to the given department in the selected hospital.

Physicians interested in volunteering in Israel must be able to make a commitment of between two weeks and three months. More varied volunteer options may exist for individuals interested in working for six months or more, if they speak Hebrew. 

Back to Employment Resources