Know all about Medical Residency in Israel....
Oct 03, 2025 04:12:06
Israel is internationally recognized for its advanced healthcare system and strong medical schools (e.g., Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University, Technion, Ben-Gurion University).
Training programs are structured, rigorous, and often integrate both clinical excellence and research.
Exposure to cutting-edge medical technologies, especially in fields like cardiology, oncology, neurology, and medical devices.
Israel’s universal healthcare system is highly developed, offering residents exposure to a broad patient population with diverse medical conditions.
Hospitals such as Sheba Medical Center, Hadassah Medical Center, and Rambam Health Care Campus are known for their high standards of care and global collaborations.
Israel is a global leader in medical research and biotech innovation.
Residents often have opportunities to participate in clinical trials, translational research, and multidisciplinary innovation projects.
Strong collaborations with global research centers enhance career development.
Training in Israel is highly respected internationally, particularly in specialties like emergency medicine, oncology, cardiology, and medical technology-driven fields.
Many Israeli-trained specialists hold positions in prestigious institutions worldwide.
Physicians in Israel often work with a diverse patient population, including Jewish, Arab, Druze, Bedouin, and immigrant communities.
English is widely used in academic and research contexts, making it accessible for international doctors.
Israel offers structured pathways for immigrant physicians (Olim doctors) to integrate into the healthcare system.
Programs often include support with licensing exams, language adaptation, and placement in residency or fellowship training.
Israel is a vibrant, culturally rich country with strong community life.
Physicians often value the supportive professional networks, as well as the opportunity to live in a country with deep historical and cultural significance.
Israel offers fellowships and subspecialty programs in cutting-edge fields such as minimally invasive surgery, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric hematology-oncology, and advanced imaging.
Many programs collaborate with North American and European institutions.
Medical Degree: You must hold an MD (Doctor of Medicine) from a recognized university.
Licensing Exam: Foreign-trained doctors generally need to pass the Israeli Medical Licensing Examination(both written and practical/oral components), unless they studied in specific recognized countries/programs that may exempt them.
Internship (Stá): In Israel, a year of internship (Stá) is required after medical school before applying to residency. Some foreign internships can be recognized, but often foreign graduates need to complete at least part of the Israeli internship.
Hebrew proficiency is essential for residency because patient interaction, medical charts, and most training are conducted in Hebrew.
Some academic materials, research, and conferences are in English, but daily work is Hebrew-based.
Residency placements are coordinated by the Ministry of Health and hospital departments.
Applicants usually undergo interviews, exams, and evaluations before being accepted into a specific specialty.
Competitive specialties (like dermatology, cardiology, neurosurgery) are highly selective, while others may be more accessible.
The Israeli Ministry of Health has special pathways for new immigrants:
Document verification (degree, transcripts, license, good standing certificate).
Adaptation programs to help doctors integrate into the Israeli system.
Possible partial or full exemption from licensing exams for doctors trained in the USA, Canada, UK, or recognized EU countries (subject to case-by-case review).
Depends on specialty:
Family Medicine: ~4 years
Internal Medicine: 4–5 years
Surgery: 6–7 years
Pediatrics: 4–5 years
Includes rotations, specialty training, and examinations.
Specialty |
Duration |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Family Medicine |
4 years |
Includes primary care, community health, and hospital rotations. |
|
Internal Medicine |
4–5 years |
Core specialty, often followed by subspecialty fellowship (e.g., cardiology, gastroenterology). |
|
Pediatrics |
4–5 years |
Includes neonatal and pediatric subspecialties. |
|
Obstetrics & Gynecology |
6 years |
Includes maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive medicine, gynecologic oncology. |
|
General Surgery |
6 years |
Core surgical training with option for subspecialty fellowship. |
|
Orthopedic Surgery |
6 years |
Includes trauma, spine, hand, joint replacement subspecialties. |
|
Neurosurgery |
7 years |
One of the longest and most competitive programs. |
|
Cardiothoracic Surgery |
6–7 years |
Specialized surgical training in heart and chest. |
|
Urology |
6 years |
Includes oncology and reconstructive urology. |
|
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery |
6 years |
Covers cosmetic, reconstructive, and burn surgery. |
|
Ophthalmology |
5 years |
Includes subspecialties like retina, glaucoma, cornea. |
|
Otolaryngology (ENT) |
6 years |
Ear, nose, throat, and head & neck surgery. |
|
Dermatology & Venereology |
4–5 years |
Highly competitive. |
|
Anesthesiology |
5 years |
Includes critical care and pain management. |
|
Radiology (Diagnostic Imaging) |
5 years |
Covers all imaging modalities. |
|
Radiation Oncology |
5 years |
Involves cancer treatment with radiotherapy. |
|
Neurology |
5 years |
Includes adult and pediatric neurology. |
|
Psychiatry |
5 years |
Includes general, child, and forensic psychiatry. |
|
Rehabilitation Medicine |
5 years |
Focus on physical medicine and rehabilitation. |
|
Emergency Medicine |
5 years |
A relatively young but growing specialty in Israel. |
|
Medical Genetics |
4–5 years |
Clinical and laboratory training. |
|
Pathology |
5 years |
Clinical, surgical, and forensic pathology. |
|
Public Health / Preventive Medicine |
4 years |
Focus on epidemiology, health policy, and community health. |
Hospital / Medical Center |
City |
Affiliated University |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sheba Medical Center (Tel HaShomer) |
Ramat Gan (Tel Aviv area) |
Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University |
Largest hospital in Israel; major residency center in almost all specialties. |
|
Hadassah Medical Center (Ein Kerem & Mount Scopus) |
Jerusalem |
Hebrew University – Hadassah Faculty of Medicine |
One of Israel’s oldest academic hospitals; full range of residencies and subspecialties. |
|
Rambam Health Care Campus |
Haifa |
Technion – Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine |
Northern Israel’s largest teaching hospital; strong in surgery, oncology, pediatrics. |
|
Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson & Hasharon) |
Petah Tikva |
Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University |
Known for cardiology, transplantation, oncology, and hematology. |
|
Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) |
Tel Aviv |
Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University |
Major urban hospital; strong in emergency medicine, surgery, oncology. |
|
Shaare Zedek Medical Center |
Jerusalem |
Affiliated with Hebrew University & other teaching programs |
Known for OB-GYN, cardiology, pediatrics, internal medicine. |
|
Soroka University Medical Center |
Be’er Sheva |
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev – Faculty of Health Sciences |
Only tertiary hospital in southern Israel; strong in trauma, emergency, and desert medicine. |
|
Barzilai Medical Center |
Ashkelon |
Affiliated with Ben-Gurion University |
Provides residency programs in core specialties; regional teaching hospital. |
|
Ziv Medical Center |
Safed (Tzfat) |
Affiliated with Bar-Ilan University – Azrieli Faculty of Medicine |
Expanding residency opportunities in northern Israel. |
|
Poriya Medical Center |
Tiberias |
Bar-Ilan University – Azrieli Faculty of Medicine |
Regional teaching hospital with core residency training. |
|
Kaplan Medical Center |
Rehovot |
Hebrew University & Hadassah Medical School |
Known for internal medicine, cardiology, and OB-GYN. |
|
Wolfson Medical Center |
Holon |
Tel Aviv University |
Offers multiple residency programs; close to Tel Aviv. |
|
Assaf Harofeh Medical Center (Shamir Medical Center) |
Zerifin (near Rishon LeZion) |
Tel Aviv University |
Provides a broad range of specialties and subspecialties. |
|
Bnai Zion Medical Center |
Haifa |
Technion – Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine |
Focus on internal medicine, surgery, and rehabilitation. |
|
Hillel Yaffe Medical Center |
Hadera |
Technion – Rappaport Faculty of Medicine |
Regional residency programs with Technion affiliation. |
Document |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Medical Degree (MD diploma) |
Original or notarized copy from a recognized medical school. Must be legalized (apostille or embassy verification). |
|
Official Transcript / Academic Record |
List of courses, grades, and clinical rotations completed. |
|
Proof of Internship (Stá) or Clinical Clerkship |
Certificate of completed internship year or equivalent training abroad. If not completed, you may be required to do it in Israel. |
|
Medical License / Good Standing Certificate |
For doctors already licensed/practicing abroad – issued by the relevant medical authority, confirming no disciplinary actions. |
|
Passport / Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID) |
Identification document. For immigrants, proof of immigration status (Aliyah certificate). |
|
Birth Certificate |
Sometimes requested for identification and civil registry purposes. |
|
Curriculum Vitae (CV) |
Academic and professional background, including clinical experience and research. |
|
Hebrew Proficiency Certificate |
Residency requires daily communication in Hebrew; some applicants may be asked to pass a Hebrew proficiency exam. |
|
Recommendation Letters |
From professors, mentors, or hospital supervisors (especially important for competitive specialties). |
|
Recent Passport Photos |
Usually 2–4 official size photos. |
|
Application Forms (MOH) |
Official Ministry of Health forms for licensing and residency application. |
|
Proof of Name Change (if applicable) |
Marriage certificate, court order, etc. |
Submit your medical diploma, transcript, and internship certificate to the MOH.
Documents must be notarized, legalized (apostille/consulate), and translated into Hebrew or English.
Provide passport / Israeli ID (if an immigrant), and a good standing certificate from the medical authority in your home country.
IMGs must generally pass the Israeli Medical Licensing Exam:
Written (theoretical): Multiple-choice exam in Hebrew (sometimes available in English), covering basic clinical and medical sciences.
Practical/Oral exam: Clinical scenarios, patient interaction, and applied medicine.
Exemptions: Doctors trained in certain countries (e.g., USA, Canada, UK, EU states with recognized accreditation) may receive full or partial exemption from the exam.
If you already hold a specialty certification abroad, you may apply for recognition as a specialist (different track than residency).
If your foreign internship year is not recognized, you may need to complete an internship in Israel before starting residency.
This is especially common for graduates from non-OECD or non-Western medical schools.
Hebrew proficiency is essential for residency.
While some exams and academic content are available in English, daily hospital work (patient communication, charting, staff collaboration) is in Hebrew.
Some IMGs take a Hebrew ulpan (intensive course) before residency.
Once licensed, you can apply for residency positions directly with hospitals (teaching medical centers).
Applications usually include: CV, recommendation letters, interview process, and exam scores.
The Ministry of Health and the Israeli Medical Association oversee allocation of residency slots (similar to a national matching system, but more flexible than the US NRMP).
Competitive specialties (e.g., dermatology, neurosurgery, cardiology) require strong academic performance and recommendations.
Residency length depends on specialty (4–7 years).
Includes rotations, exams, research components, and supervised clinical practice.
After completion, you take a specialty board exam administered by the Israeli Medical Association.
After residency, you may apply for fellowships in Israel or abroad (common in the USA, Europe, or Canada).
Many Israeli specialists do a post-residency fellowship overseas before returning to practice.
Component |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Base Salary (Full-Time, 42 hrs/week) |
9,000 – 11,000 per month (~USD $2,400 – $3,000) for new residents. |
|
On-Call Shifts (24-hr duties, nights, weekends) |
Additional pay of 1,000 – 1,400 per shift (~USD $270 – $380). Residents usually do 6–8 shifts per month, significantly increasing total salary. |
|
Overtime / Extra Hours |
Paid at higher rates; can add 3,000 – 6,000 monthly depending on workload. |
|
Take-Home Pay (Average) |
Most residents earn around 15,000 – 20,000 per month (~USD $4,000 – $5,300), depending on specialty, shifts, and seniority. |
|
Senior Residents (later years) |
Can earn 20,000 – 24,000/month (~USD $5,300 – $6,500) with heavier call schedules. |
|
Benefits |
Pension contributions, national health insurance, vacation days, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave. |
No tuition fees are charged for residency itself.
Hospitals are public or semi-public institutions, and residency positions are funded by the state through the Ministry of Health.
International Medical Graduates (IMGs) may need to pay fees for:
Document verification and notarization.
Apostille/legalization of diplomas.
Translation into Hebrew.
Licensing exam registration fees (a few hundred USD).
The major personal expense for residents is cost of living.
Israel, particularly Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, has a high cost of living compared to many countries.
On average:
Rent: 4,000–6,000 per month for a modest apartment in big cities.
Food, transport, utilities: 3,000–4,000 per month.
While residents earn around 15,000–20,000 per month, much of it goes toward housing and living expenses.
Visa or residency permit processing (if not making Aliyah as a new immigrant).
Hebrew language courses (Ulpan) if needed before starting residency.
Residency in Israel can be long (4–7 years depending on specialty).
During this period, residents earn modestly compared to senior specialists, and salaries may be lower than in North America or parts of Europe.
Must hold an MD (Doctor of Medicine) degree from a recognized foreign university.
The school should be listed by the MOH as an accredited medical institution.
If the degree is not recognized, additional exams or coursework may be required.
Completion of a clinical internship year (Stá) is mandatory.
If the IMG’s internship abroad is not recognized by the MOH, the doctor will need to complete an internship in Israel before applying to residency.
Most IMGs must pass the Israeli Medical Licensing Exam (theoretical + practical/oral).
The exam is usually in Hebrew, but sometimes available in English.
Exemptions: Graduates of certain Western countries (USA, Canada, UK, EU states, Australia, New Zealand) may be partially or fully exempt if they already hold a valid license in those countries.
Hebrew fluency is essential, as residency involves direct patient care, charting, and teamwork.
Some research and academic work is in English, but daily clinical work is in Hebrew.
Proof of Hebrew proficiency or an Ulpan (intensive Hebrew course) is often required before starting.
Non-Israeli citizens must secure a valid work visa or residency permit.
Jewish doctors making Aliyah (immigrating under the Law of Return) get preferential pathways:
Support from the Ministry of Absorption.
Sometimes exam exemptions or financial aid.
Must provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the medical authority in the country of graduation or practice, showing no disciplinary or ethical violations.
After licensing is approved, candidates apply directly to hospitals offering residency programs.
Selection is based on interviews, CV, recommendation letters, exam results, and sometimes prior clinical experience.
Competitive specialties (e.g., dermatology, neurosurgery, cardiology) are harder to secure.
Medical Residency and Higher Specialty Training in Japan
If you are eligible under the Law of Return (Jewish, child/grandchild of a Jew, or converted), you can make Aliyah.
You receive Israeli citizenship and an Israeli ID (Teudat Zehut).
Once a citizen, no visa is required — you have the same rights as Israeli medical graduates.
You can then proceed with licensing and apply for residency through the Ministry of Health.
If you are not eligible for Aliyah:
You need a work visa to legally train and work in Israel.
The type of visa is usually a B/1 Work Visa, which is issued to foreign experts and professionals.
Requirements include:
Sponsorship from an Israeli hospital or medical institution.
Approval from the Ministry of Health confirming eligibility for residency.
Submission of medical diplomas, licensing exam results, and proof of employment contract.
The visa is typically valid for 1 year at a time, renewable throughout the residency duration.
If your internship abroad is not recognized, you may need to complete an internship year in Israel before residency.
In that case, the same visa/work permit rules apply — either as an immigrant (citizen) or with a B/1 visa if you are a foreign national.
Spouses and children of B/1 visa holders may apply for a B/2 visa (dependent visa) to live in Israel during your residency.
Residency is considered employment in Israel (you are paid a salary by the hospital), so the visa is tied to employment authorization, not a student visa.
Without Israeli citizenship or permanent residency, you must have hospital sponsorship + MOH approval for the work visa.
Immigration and visa matters are handled jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Population and Immigration Authority (Misrad Hapnim).
