Israel opening two new medical schools to help address physician shortage

Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch, who chairs the Council for Higher Education, approved the establishment of two new medical schools in Israel on Tuesday. One will be at the University of Haifa, and the other at the Weizmann Institute near Tel Aviv.

Israel’s Health Minister Uriel Buso stressed the overall aim is to address the country’s current severe shortage of physicians and other medical personnel. There is a stated goal of securing 2,000 medical students per year by 2030. 

“This is an important and significant development that will greatly contribute to the future of the healthcare system in Israel,” Buso stated. 

“Increasing the number of medical students will help reduce disparities, strengthen public healthcare, and ensure quality and accessible medical services for every citizen,” Buso continued. “This step will ensure the resilience of the system for many years to come."

Most Israeli medical students currently study abroad due to lack of spots at existing Israeli medical schools. Israeli reportedly has one of the lowest numbers of medical graduates among the advanced OECD countries.

Furthermore, around 50% of Israeli physicians are 55 or older. This means that within the next decade, many of them will retire, which would further exacerbate the Israeli medical personnel shortage crisis. 

In addition, Israel’s population is younger and grows faster than other advanced countries, which means that the need for medical services in the country will increase in the future. 

University of Haifa president Prof. Gur Alroey also argued that the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack and subsequent war further increased the need for robust and sufficient Israeli medical services. 

“The events of October 7, along with the ongoing attacks on Haifa and the region, have reinforced the urgent need to strengthen Israel’s healthcare system,” Alroey assessed.

“We have an opportunity not only to expand and improve medical education in Israel, but also to tailor it to the unique needs of the north,” he continued. 

The Miriam and Aaron Gutwirth Medical School at the Weizmann Institute is scheduled to receive new medical students in October 2025. 

“The multidisciplinary nature of Weizmann research will allow students to specialize not only in the life sciences but also in physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, while having access to the most advanced scientific infrastructure in the world,” the institute spokesperson announced. 

The combination of a young and growing population and the Gaza War further increased the pressure on the already strained Israeli medical system.

In January, several overcrowded Israeli hospitals reported that their treatment capacity had surpassed 100% and, in some cases, even 200%. 

“Internal medicine departments across the country are over 100% full, and emergency rooms face overcrowding levels of 200% compared to normal days,” the Israeli news outlet Jerusalem Post reported. 

“Patients are being hospitalized in hallways and, sometimes, even in hospital cafeterias. This has created a situation in emergency rooms where patients often wait for hours – sometimes over 10 – before a bed in an internal medicine ward becomes available."

Prof. Ayelet Erez and Prof. Liran Shlush, two senior practicing physicians who also head research groups, emphasized that future Israeli physicians need a deeper understanding of applied science. 

“There is a growing need for physicians who have an in-depth understanding of basic and applied science, and have the tools and ability to translate scientific discoveries into new, improved medical treatments,” Erez and Shlush assessed.

“The vision is to create a new generation of physician-scientists who are leaders in medicine and biomedical research,” they concluded.