Finished interviewing at BGU and Sackler

[daisypicker]

I am heartset on going to medical school in Israel, but I want to make sure I go to the one that suits me best.

My interview at Sackler was impersonal, and my interview at BGU didnt give me enough time to get answers to questions I frequently see on these boards

As I posted earlier I am on student loans now and will be during medical school, so keep that in mind when I ask these questions.

First off, I spoke with a 4th year doing an IHM clerkship in Israel who was very upset when it was announced the trips to Africa Asia and South America were only for students not on loans. She told me the only reason she chose this school over Canadian medical schools that she had interviewed at and american schools that she got accepted to was because of this IHM clerkship in a developing country. Has this issue been resolved? I asked this like 3 months ago in preparation for the interview I had a few weeks ago?

Follow up to that, if there are no developing country clerkships, why would I choose to go to BGU over my home state school, where I also interviewed that currently has students doing electives in Haiti China Russia and Kenya and whose loans don't affect their status?

Is there a stigma of being an FMG from Israel? Have any fourth years had to deal with difficulties in elective/residency applications? (was too afraid to ask this during interviews)

Exactly how many Columbia faculty teach you? and in what capacity?

What is the Columbia connection? Are you Columbia students, it comes across that you are, but I asked Columbia students (my sister is one) and she said they have never heard of an Israel med school with ties or with Columbia in the title of the program???

What does the international/global health curriculum consist of in the first 3 years (lectures/powerpoints vs. field training)?

If someone could answer these questions that would really help me make a decision, I have more but need to get to class. The website is rather vague and uninformative.

Thanks

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[lgrabowi]

you got an interview at Sackler already? I thought they were just starting to review applications...

At my interview at Ben Gurion, they told me that they were still working on resolving the issue of the fourth year clerkships. All of the students told me that by the time I start, the problem should be resolved.

The Columbia connection becomes clear in the fourth year. For electives, you can go study at any school in the United States because you will be considered a Columbia med school student. You can also, of course, do your electives at Columbia University. It's not that the students at Columbia see you as one of them, it's that the administration considers you one, so they help you to get connections at other places you want to do your electives by labeling you as a Columbia student.

 

[IzzyMD09]

without a heavy conscience on my heart, I feel it is my obligation to at least discern some answers to questions that will not cast my soon to be alma mater in a negative light,

The IHM thing has not been solved, apparently/supposedly this is a Dept of Education issue with students on loans (although why they would suddenly attack only students in our program on loans, while students doing international clerkships on loans elsewhere are allowed to continue befuddles the mind). Currently we are trying to find routes to "change the law" prohibiting IHM clerkships from taking place outside of Israel and the USA, as of now only students who have never taken out loans can do the IHM clerkships you read about on our dated website, I think it is fewer than 8/50+

You are not a Columbia student, you are affiliated with Columbia Medical Center, a building that is on the Columbia College of P& S campus, you get priority after Columbia students for electives at Columbia, but you are still FMG's and there is no Columbia P&S on your diploma. This issue has come up in several posts in the past.

You cannot do electives in any school in the US, but you can do them in most, some will not take FMG's no matter who files the paperwork, and some will charge exorbitant fees, but these are aminority. Our Columbia Office does all the paperwork and a damn good job of it making it look like we are Columbia students to avoid some of the FMG induced mess. However if you choose to attend this school you are an FMG, no matter what and that should be taken into consideration.

I cannot give answers to your other questions despite knowing them d/t personal conflicts so I will let others do the talking,

Hope this helps

 

[IzzyMD09]

pm me for additional questions

 

[Lev]

Daisypicker, can you elaborate on why you found your interview with Sackler impersonal?

 

[s10m30]

yes daisypicker, same request as lev.

and when was your interview? I really thought htey just started offering interviews today...