First World Problems - Applicant

[Beet123]

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[KnightDoc]

Hi everyone, I was accepted pretty early to MSIH in Israel, and was very excited about it. I told them yes and still have 2 interviews in the northeastern US (good schools) and waiting to hear back from half my other schools (I know it's late).

Now, for matching, I do know international schools are considered worse than US schools (despite MSIH claiming 100% matching for their small class size).

Here is my question, if I like MSIH and living in Israel, should I not worry about being less competitive in 4 years? It has an association with Columbia and Mt. Sinai and a focus on international medicine, as well as US curriculum.

This has been a lifelong dream for me and I just want input from those of you in the know. I would not want to make the wrong choice (I also don't want to withdraw from a school that was kind enough to accept me in such a competitive year).

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long post. I know I am lucky to be in this situation for this cycle.

If you like it so much, would you consider staying, and would you have an opportunity to do so? If so, that's great and it's something to throw into the mix. If not, do you consider this a very expensive 4 year vacation, or professional training for your future? If it's the latter, what's more important than being less competitive in 4 years? Liking MSIH and living in Israel?????

IMHO, it just doesn't make sense for any American citizen who wants to practice in the US to consider a foreign medical school as a first choice option. If it's the best you can do, Israel is certainly better than the Caribbean, and it might very well work out for you, but it will always be more difficult to match as a FMG/IMG, even with "associations."

 

[Beet123]

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[JCaesar]

All 3 Israeli programs are solid. All the universities in Israel are very good which is impressive for such a young country. Sackler at Tel-Aviv University is the oldest among the international programs and I've noticed good matches yearly. Sackler students may have some advantages given that the Sackler program is the most well-known. Although, in my experience, the best matches tend to depend mostly on board scores plus research. The biggest difference between the Israeli programs is in their missions and their locations differ greatly. If you visit Tel-Aviv, Haifa, and Beer Sheva, you may notice that you feel more comfortable in one city compared to another. For me, Beer Sheva had that perfect small city charm and college town feel. If you visit each of the university campuses and medical schools, you'll notice a distinctly different aura as well. For example, the Technion is the MIT of Israel, and you'll feel that spirit of innovation when you are on the Technion campus. If you have a connection to the country, or you can see yourself living there and doing residency there, then studying in Israel can be a very good choice. I know people who stayed in Israel and are working in Ophthalmology and Anesthesiology. If you're like me, (who has no connection to Israel and had no plans to stay) I had to weigh the pros and cons carefully. Ultimately the pros far outweighed the cons.