Helping to Transform Israel’s Health Ecosystem

The future physicians and leading researchers at Bar-Ilan University’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine are poised to close the healthcare gap in northern Israel.   

Since its establishment in 2011 in Safed, the medical school has taught approximately 1,500 students, works with six affiliated hospitals in the region and is committed to training physicians who will settle in the north. 

In the fall of 2022, the faculty introduced an innovative new program called ROM Galil for students planning to specialize in community medicine. Eight second-year students were selected to partake in supplementary field courses, learning about the social determinants of health and specific care needs of the region’s unique and diverse population.  

The program connects students with experts and helps them build a support network among themselves. The cohort will benefit from continued mentorship and applied learning courses as they move through the program and integrate into the local healthcare community. 

ROM Galil is “shaping the type of doctor I will be,” says Yaacov, a husband and father of two from northern Israel who is studying to practise medicine in the region. “I know I am acquiring extra skills, which will ultimately enable me to serve my community in the future, with excitement and a great sense of purpose.”  

In its second decade, bold initiatives like ROM Galil are furthering the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine’s mission. By facilitating excellence in medical research and care, the school is not only training the next generation of doctors – it is transforming Israel’s health ecosystem.