Despite the fear of another wave of the COVID-19 coronavirus next winter, 110 doctors from across Eastern Europe signed up for the next session of the ‘Israel Experience’ medical program, the Jewish Agency’s subsidiary for education.
The program brings physicians from Eastern Europe who are entitled to the Law of Return and integrates them into the medical system in hospitals and the IDF. To this date, over 700 doctors have graduated from the program.
The percentage of participants who have completed the program and passed the licensing exams each year averages 98 percent.
This week Rambam Medical Center in Haifa marked the end of the 12th program, during which graduation certificates were handed out to the 58 current graduates by Amos Hermon, CEO of the “Israeli Experience” and Rambam Deputy chief of staff Dr. Avi Weissman.
Sergey Hartsov, one of the interns who received a certificate, called the experience “amazing. In addition to the medical innovation we were exposed to here, we also toured and learned about Israeli culture and character.” Hartsov said he and his fellow students are already waiting to integrate into the medical system.
In his address, Weissman noted that “despite the difficulties due to the Corona, the participants showed a great deal of seriousness and investment in their studies, despite the hard conditions. I know that these are top notch participants and I’m convinced that they will be able to excel in the Israeli health system in a variety of medical professions. I hope to see the best of them here in our hospital too,” he said.
“To this date, we have brought hundreds of doctors to Israel,” Hermon added. “I hope that all the caregivers will enable us to increase the number of participants in the face of the great health system challenges in Israel and the severe shortage of young doctors.”