The ‘special forces’ of medical studies in Israel

The School of Medicine at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot will train 40 students every year to be physician-researchers who can provide top-quality care to patients while at the same time focusing on groundbreaking research for the benefit of medicine and humanity.

A report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in June 2023 regarding the state of medicine in Israel raised a number of red flags. The conclusions of the report are indeed forward-looking, but they indicate that the level of healthcare in Israel, which once had the reputation of being one of the best in the world, is actually resting on the laurels of the past. The OECD, of which Israel is a member, warned of an extreme shortage of doctors in Israel, which is expected to increase.

Among the warning signs from the report are: the number of physicians per 1,000 residents in Israel is 10 percent lower than in other developed countries; half of the doctors in Israel are 55 and over and are approaching retirement age; and the average number of graduates of medical faculties in Israel per the population is the smallest among the OECD countries. This means that Israel ranks last on the list of developed countries regarding the percentage of doctors it trains.

The authors of the report called for a series of urgent steps to be taken so that Israel can meet the medical needs of its citizens in the future, such as training additional doctors in Israel and opening new medical faculties. Since the publication of the report, the findings and indices included have only worsened against the background of the growing dialogue among doctors in Israel who are considering relocation abroad.

Advanced Western countries continue to present attractive offers to Israeli doctors to emigrate and work in their fields, and many have responded. The proposals are usually directed to the top physicians. These offers affect the number of doctors in Israel and the standard of medicine in the country.

In the meantime, there are not enough institutions in Israel to train doctors to replace those who have left. Many Israeli students study medicine abroad, and a large number of them remain there and do not integrate into the Israeli medical system afterward. The Allied Group picked up the gauntlet and decided to act.

Although the Allied Group has been active in Israel for half a century and is considered by the business sector to be one of the leading, most developed, and most stable companies in the Israeli business market, the Israeli public is less aware of the fact that it is a unique Zionist enterprise that has made its mark far beyond successful businesses, in developing the Israeli economy, increasing employment, and engaging in large-scale philanthropy for the benefit of the country.

The Allied Group, led by Prof. Itzhak Swary, approached the issue in the same way as it manages any significant business process, with comprehensive due diligence, consultation with relevant experts, study of the economic implications, and examination of every possible angle of the project.

Once it was understood that one of the barriers to improving medical services in Israel lies in its low number of talented doctors, it was decided to set a goal to train additional doctors by establishing a new medical school. Allied contacted the Weizmann Institute of Science, one of the most respected research bodies in the world, to establish a school of medicine under its academic auspices for the training of doctor-researchers.

Weizmann Institute President Prof. Alon Chen determined that Weizmann would lead this national mission, and the two bodies set out together to implement this unique project. The Weizmann Institute and Allied set an even more ambitious goal – to train physician-researchers who will spearhead the future generation of local medical services – a kind of “special forces” medical team in Israel, to bring high-quality medicine to the citizenry, together with groundbreaking research and discoveries that can create medical breakthroughs for the entire world.

To carry out the project, the Allied Group, through its philanthropic arm – the Miriam and Aaron Gutwirth Fund (see box) – donated NIS 400 million to the Weizmann Institute. This is one of the largest donations ever made in Israel and one of the most unusual, since the donation comes directly from the profits of the business entity, which incorporates dozens of companies in Israel.

The board of trustees that manages the Allied Group did not hesitate when the magnitude of the contribution required to ensure the establishment and operation of the Weizmann Institute School of Medicine became clear.

The donation will be used to establish a school for medical studies at the Weizmann Institute, named after Miriam and Aaron Gutwirth. Each year, the school will train 40 Israeli students who already have a bachelor’s degree or advanced degrees in another field to serve as research physicians.

This is a precedent-setting training program, since, upon graduation, the students will receive an MD/PhD degree that will enable them to integrate into research activities at the Weizmann Institute of Science and hospitals, including Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), and Clalit Health Services hospitals, while providing medical services to the general public.

“This new program, under the auspices of the Weizmann Institute of Science, will ensure the highest levels of study and research in Israel and abroad while also forging a direct connection between science and pure research, and the world of medicine,” said Prof. Swary.

Training new physician-scientists, steeped in both comprehensive clinical practice and innovative scientific approaches, will provide a major boost to Israel’s public health sector. The program aims to redefine the framework of medical education by training physicians to bring a broader scope and innovative approach to their practice, thereby advancing biomedical research and its application in Israel.

The training program is currently in the approval process of the Council for Higher Education (Malag). Only upon receiving approval will candidates be able begin registering for the new school and undergo the required selection and screening processes. The school’s first cohort is expected to enter its doors in October 2025.■

This article was written in cooperation with the Allied Group.