Ben Gurion University- Medical School for International Health 2011-2012 Cycle

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perpetual labor

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I just received an interview invitation to BGU-MSIH, and I am ecstatic! I am applying to domestic MD and DO programs as well, but MSIH is likely one of my top two choices. I understand the disadvantages of graduating as an IMG, but the students do very well with the match in areas important to me. I would prefer a different medical school experience.

My Stats: MCAT30P, GPA3.6 (3.4s). (See my MDApps profile for the rest)

Interview Invite: The week after Thanksgiving

Anyone else applying to BGU-MSIH? Anyone current students reaching out? Any encouraging stories from BGU grads doing EM residencies in the US?

-P

For last year's discussion, see link below:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=744986


Definitely check out the 2010 Match List:

http://cumc.columbia.edu/dept/bgcu-md/documents/ChartYourCourse2010.pdf

Anesthesiology
PGY-2 Boston University Medical Center

Dermatology
PGY-2 Roger Williams Medical Center

Emergency Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center
University Hospitals Case Medical Center

Family Medicine
University of Arizona Affiliated Hospitals
Group Health Coop
Saint Anthony Hospital
The Medical Center
Bryn Mawr Hospital
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Brown University Medical Center

Internal Medicine
University of New Mexico SOM
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Providence Portland Medical Center

Medicine
PGY-1 Einstein-Jacobi Medical Center
PGY-1 Boston University Medical Center
Nassau University Medical Center

Obstetrics/Gynecology
New York Methodist Hospital
Drexel University COM/Hahnemann Hospital
Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education

Pediatrics
University of Maryland
University Hospitals Case Medical Center- Rainbow Babies
Children’s National Medical Center
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Jersey Shore University Medical Center
St. Christopher’s Hospital
University of Virginia
North Shore - Long Island Jewish Health Systems
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Eastern Virginia Medical School
University of Colorado/University Hospital

Psychiatry
University of Virginia
Indiana University School of Medicine
University of Toronto
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Long Island Jewish Medical Center

Surgery
SUNY Upstate Medical Center
St. Joseph Mercy
University of North Dakota School of Medicine
Waterbury Hospital
PGY-1 University of North Carolina
PGY-1 Baylor College Medical Center
PGY-1 University of Massachusetts Medical School

School website: http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/bgcu-md/
 
I recently received an interview invitation to BGU-MSIH as well. I am also applying to domestic MD and DO programs, but like you MSIH is likely one of my top two choices. International medicine is definitely my interest, and this seems like a great route.

My Stats: MCAT29N, GPA3.4 (3.4s).

Interview Invite: October 28th
 
evanl4 said:
I recently received an interview invitation to BGU-MSIH as well. I am also applying to domestic MD and DO programs, but like you MSIH is likely one of my top two choices. International medicine is definitely my interest, and this seems like a great route.

My Stats: MCAT29N, GPA3.4 (3.4s).

Interview Invite: October 28th
Click to expand...

Nice. Good luck.
 
Hey there! I'm looking to apply to Ben-Gurion next year. What types of extra curricular activities/ international experiences do you feel set you apart?
 
Hey,

I was interviewed at the school itself (I currently live in Israel) on 10/23 and received an acceptance letter yesterday. Saying I'm ecstatic is an understatement.

My Stats: MCAT 35, GPA 3.44 (3.27s).

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

Good luck!
 
MarissaM said:
Hey there! I'm looking to apply to Ben-Gurion next year. What types of extra curricular activities/ international experiences do you feel set you apart?
Click to expand...

My international experiences: I participated on an Israeli ambulance volunteer program, shadowed pediatric neurosurgeons at Tel Aviv Medical Center, studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain, where I did a yearlong internship in cardiovascular surgery, and I did medical research in the Israeli Army. I'm fluent in Hebrew (my parents are Israeli) and Spanish (my minor), took 1.5 years of French in college, and I'm studying Arabic this year.
 
TalK said:
My international experiences: I participated on an Israeli ambulance volunteer program, shadowed pediatric neurosurgeons at Tel Aviv Medical Center, studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain, where I did a yearlong internship in cardiovascular surgery, and I did medical research in the Israeli Army. I'm fluent in Hebrew (my parents are Israeli) and Spanish (my minor), took 1.5 years of French in college, and I'm studying Arabic this year.
Click to expand...

Wow.

Congratulations on the acceptance--you're going to be a doctor. Has that had time to sink in? BGU-MSIH is a great school because of students like you. You're sure that's where you'll be? I would love to join you.

What kind of feedback did you get at your interview? Any advice for me? Do you think it helps to have exposure to Israel? Do you think it's typical to expect such a fast turnaround from the school?

Most Israeli's I know are... forward, to put it lightly. Can I expect that kind of honesty/transparency at the interview?
 
I interviewed on 10/28, my stats are above. They told me they will have a meeting on Dec. 8th and I should probably know something by mid Dec.

My first interview was good, but my second could have gone better. The second one was with a woman who had gone to med school in Tel-Aviv. It was unlike any other med school interview that I have had in that she seemed to have a list of questions that she wanted to get through, not spending much time responding to my responses. It felt less conversational and I left there feeling that she didn't get a good idea of who I was. Partially my fault for answering some questions generically.

If you have any questions just pm me. I would say go in there with very good reasons to why you think its the right school for you. The office staff is wonderful and everyone is pretty laid back.
 
perpetual labor said:
Wow.

Congratulations on the acceptance--you're going to be a doctor. Has that had time to sink in? BGU-MSIH is a great school because of students like you. You're sure that's where you'll be? I would love to join you.

What kind of feedback did you get at your interview? Any advice for me? Do you think it helps to have exposure to Israel? Do you think it's typical to expect such a fast turnaround from the school?

Most Israeli's I know are... forward, to put it lightly. Can I expect that kind of honesty/transparency at the interview?
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot...it definitely hasn't sunk in yet...pretty surreal. I think the fast turnaround was due to the fact that I interviewed on 10/23 and there was a committee meeting on 10/28. I want to continue living Israel (at least for my my medical school years), but if I get into a school in the States I'll have a tough decision to make just because of what everyone says about getting into a domestic school. Out if the 3 programs in Israel though, BGU-MSIH is definitely my top choice.

My two interviews lasted 30-40 minutes each and both were VERY conversational with the typical interview questions interspersed. At one point one of the interviewers said "Now I'll ask you the infamous question: why do you want to be a doctor." I interviewed at the school itself, so I don't know how it is in New York, however the interviewers were expats so there was no Israeli forwardness, just friendliness.

The only reason exposure to Israel might help is that people I met with told me that many students come to BGU expecting things to work as smoothly and as organized as in the U.S., but that's not the case in Israel where you have to be much more flexible. While Israel is not a 3rd world country, in certain instances it feels like it is and it can be frustrating. I would show a readiness for that.

My biggest advice is to be yourself, be real!
 
TalK said:
Thanks a lot...it definitely hasn't sunk in yet...pretty surreal. I think the fast turnaround was due to the fact that I interviewed on 10/23 and there was a committee meeting on 10/28. I want to continue living Israel (at least for my my medical school years), but if I get into a school in the States I'll have a tough decision to make just because of what everyone says about getting into a domestic school. Out if the 3 programs in Israel though, BGU-MSIH is definitely my top choice.

My two interviews lasted 30-40 minutes each and both were VERY conversational with the typical interview questions interspersed. At one point one of the interviewers said "Now I'll ask you the infamous question: why do you want to be a doctor." I interviewed at the school itself, so I don't know how it is in New York, however the interviewers were expats so there was no Israeli forwardness, just friendliness.

The only reason exposure to Israel might help is that people I met with told me that many students come to BGU expecting things to work as smoothly and as organized as in the U.S., but that's not the case in Israel where you have to be much more flexible. While Israel is not a 3rd world country, in certain instances it feels like it is and it can be frustrating. I would show a readiness for that.

My biggest advice is to be yourself, be real!
Click to expand...
Congratulations and thank you for so much for sharing your interview experience. I am interviewing here on Monday 11/28 and hoping for the best! I have strong interests in global health and Ben Gurion will be a perfect fit for me.
 
Hey all - I was just notified my application was complete. For those of your who interviewed, what was the turnaround time for an invite?
good luck to everyone!
 
2012applicant said:
Hey all - I was just notified my application was complete. For those of your who interviewed, what was the turnaround time for an invite?
good luck to everyone!
Click to expand...

Turnaround is very rapid (better than my response time). I would say less than a week (based on a good amount of experience 🙄 ). Give it a week and then you could probably call the office. It's a small program with an intimate US-based administrative office.

Good Luck

-P
 
I received a letter in the mail last night telling me I was on the waitlist. I really want to go to this school so I hope this list moves 😕. I believe they had a meeting on Dec. 8th regarding those recently interviewed. Good luck to everyone!
 
2012applicant said:
Hey all - I was just notified my application was complete. For those of your who interviewed, what was the turnaround time for an invite?
good luck to everyone!
Click to expand...

I was notified that my application was complete on 9/21 and received an interview invite on 9/26 for interviews taking place the following week.
Good luck!
 
Complete sometime in October
Interviewed: Nov 28th
Accepted: Dec 13th

Anyone know anything about financial aid? Do they provide this information before we have to decide?

Thanks and I wish everyone here all the best!
 
Bethavi said:
Complete sometime in October
Interviewed: Nov 28th
Accepted: Dec 13th

Anyone know anything about financial aid? Do they provide this information before we have to decide?

Thanks and I wish everyone here all the best!
Click to expand...

When I interviewed at the school I met with the financial aid administrator Lynne Conroy. Maybe you should contact her: [email protected].
 
TalK said:
When I interviewed at the school I met with the financial aid administrator Lynne Conroy. Maybe you should contact her: [email protected].
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information TalK! I emailed her last Wednesday and haven't heard anything. I guess I'll be patient for a few more days.

Thanks again,
 
Hi all,
For a laundry list of reasons, I find my self in the position of applying to Ben Gurion this month. I know, it's quite late...I emailed admissions, who assured me that admissions are rolling and its not too late to apply, but I was wondering: has anyone heard anything to the contrary? I hate to get my hopes up if its futile.
 
I think you should go for it! I have not heard anything to the contrary--if the admissions office encourages you to apply then you have nothing to worry about. If you start the process now, the turnaround will be relatively quick given they probably review fewer applicants this time of the year.

I got in already and I am seriously consider going. Just waiting on a couple places. Who knows, we may be classmates in the fall 🙂

All the best!
 
Interviewed today. Very conversational, very frank discussions. Excellent school, and very unique opportunity for those fortunate enough to go!
 
I'm so excited - I'm interviewing this week! Of course I'm a bit nervous... Any advice from those who interviewed here?
 
Hi Alyla!

Congratulations on your interview!
I had two interviews about 30 mins each and they were both very conversational. You'll likely watch a video in between the two interviews.
As for the interviews, be prepared to discuss your general interest in global health, your 5-10 year plan post medical school and your interest in MSIH. Those are the key questions that I can recall--I interviewed in November so it has been a while!

All the best,
 
Thanks so much for the response! Crossing my fingers 🙂
 
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Has anyone heard about scholarships?
 
Do not attend Medical School for International Health!
Even thought the numbers show that MSIH may be as good as some state schools and its mission is very noble, the character of a medical school is manifested by how the faculty treats its students. If you speak to any current or past students, they can tell you exactly how they treat their students. Many students are reluctant to talk because any criticism is usually met very harshly with threats of failures and expulsion. In addition, the very policies of the school are not followed by the administrators.
Last November, Israel was involved in a war in which even more bombs fell on Beer-Sheba than normally. There were students who left Israel in order to get away from the bombs and upon return they were threatened with failing their courses. Another student wished to present a poster at a convention and she was threatened a failure of her course if she attended. Any other school would be thrilled for their students to represent them at a convention. Another student was threatened with failure for attending his mother's funeral during the school year. A student was also threatened with expulsion because another student slandered her on the post-course survey. The administrators had multiple meetings despite the fact that their own policies were not followed. In addition, if you are worried about where your money goes, the MISH tuition money recently paid for a new administrative office and study hall exclusively for the use of MSIH. However, MSIH students are completely precluded for studying there and the Israeli students are welcomed to enter. Also, the clocks in the exam rooms don't work half the time and the test proctors talk and answer their cellphones during the tests.
Any US medical school would not debase their students and aim for their failure. The administrators at MSIH do not want their students to succeed because they constantly threaten failure and if there is any true fault the administrators do not give any leeway. In medical school, the purpose is to study hard but MSIH administrators penalize you for studying and being at the top of your class and your classmates will ostracize you if you do study as much as an American medical student. The reason that the students of MSIH do not get any school policy fixed is that the administrators will fail the students if any criticism is brought up.
In summation, MSIH is a horrible school and the international medicine aspect can be learned much better at almost any other school. Only attend MSIH if you enjoy living in the Israeli desert with bombs falling on your head on a regular basis and if you want to be able to slander your own classmates in order to get them expelled. But they can also do this to you. Columbia University may not be aware of the administration's treatment of students but they should be much more mindful of the bedfellows they are involved with. Columbia is as much to blame as MSIH because they are helping to promote MSIH and I believe that no school should be promoting the denigration and ostracization of medical students. This is undue psychological pressure in addition to being in Israel away from your family and having bombs fall on you. I do not wish any of this hardship to befall other potential medical students because a good doctor is determined by how hard you can study and work and not on how much slander and psychological abuse a student can take.
 
I speak as one of the overwhelming majority of satisfied, successful students:

Before I decided to attend, I found the administration and other students to be very open and honest about the significant positives, and the clear challenges, of attending medical school in Israel. The prior post does not merit to be addressed in a point-by-point fashion. I will say that the pressures of medical school are not for everyone, and the added challenges of medical school in another culture far from home where things operate a bit differently than you expect, are certainly not for everyone. The administration works very hard and is for the most part made up of some of the kindest people I've met. Other positive comments by current and former students on MSIH-specific forums on this site, and the match lists, speak for themselves. While it was a challenge being here during a period of conflict, the actual danger we were exposed to was extremely low, and the administration established hospitality for us across the country in safer regions and updated us on the situation multiple times daily. This was a stressful experience, but I felt it was as well managed as it could have been.

To prospective students - you owe it to yourselves to get a detailed perspective from current students and alumni. Get in touch with our offices through the website msih.net and they will have happy to put you in touch.


To the original poster - I'm sorry you felt this wasn't the environment for you, but I think it's time for you to move on rather than dragging others down.

fredg said:
Do not attend Medical School for International Health!
Even thought the numbers show that MSIH may be as good as some state schools and its mission is very noble, the character of a medical school is manifested by how the faculty treats its students. If you speak to any current or past students, they can tell you exactly how they treat their students. Many students are reluctant to talk because any criticism is usually met very harshly with threats of failures and expulsion. In addition, the very policies of the school are not followed by the administrators.
Last November, Israel was involved in a war in which even more bombs fell on Beer-Sheba than normally. There were students who left Israel in order to get away from the bombs and upon return they were threatened with failing their courses. Another student wished to present a poster at a convention and she was threatened a failure of her course if she attended. Any other school would be thrilled for their students to represent them at a convention. Another student was threatened with failure for attending his mother's funeral during the school year. A student was also threatened with expulsion because another student slandered her on the post-course survey. The administrators had multiple meetings despite the fact that their own policies were not followed. In addition, if you are worried about where your money goes, the MISH tuition money recently paid for a new administrative office and study hall exclusively for the use of MSIH. However, MSIH students are completely precluded for studying there and the Israeli students are welcomed to enter. Also, the clocks in the exam rooms don't work half the time and the test proctors talk and answer their cellphones during the tests.
Any US medical school would not debase their students and aim for their failure. The administrators at MSIH do not want their students to succeed because they constantly threaten failure and if there is any true fault the administrators do not give any leeway. In medical school, the purpose is to study hard but MSIH administrators penalize you for studying and being at the top of your class and your classmates will ostracize you if you do study as much as an American medical student. The reason that the students of MSIH do not get any school policy fixed is that the administrators will fail the students if any criticism is brought up.
In summation, MSIH is a horrible school and the international medicine aspect can be learned much better at almost any other school. Only attend MSIH if you enjoy living in the Israeli desert with bombs falling on your head on a regular basis and if you want to be able to slander your own classmates in order to get them expelled. But they can also do this to you. Columbia University may not be aware of the administration's treatment of students but they should be much more mindful of the bedfellows they are involved with. Columbia is as much to blame as MSIH because they are helping to promote MSIH and I believe that no school should be promoting the denigration and ostracization of medical students. This is undue psychological pressure in addition to being in Israel away from your family and having bombs fall on you. I do not wish any of this hardship to befall other potential medical students because a good doctor is determined by how hard you can study and work and not on how much slander and psychological abuse a student can take.
Click to expand...
 
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