Sackler School of Medicine (Israel)

[diggitybop]

i am interested in this school, the overall experience, but i am worried about how successful i will be once i graduate and am looking for a competitive residency in the US. i am also a little worried about learning a different style of medicine (high technology-less attention to the art of medicine) than i would here in the US. I have been accepted to a couple of MD schools in the US, but i am still very interested in Sackler. I was just contacted for an interview and will go to learn more, but i just wanted to know if anyone knew more about the program and how the students fare when they graduate.

thx

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[kerplunk112]

hey well my cousin is an ms 4 at sackler and im pretty sure he got some good residencies(peds) in NYC. if you want i can find out his email for you. i dont know it off the top of my head.

 

[sirus_virus]

Are you also interested in suicide bombers?

 

[hope12]

Are you also interested in suicide bombers?

they moved to iraq

 

[diggitybop]

sirus virus you are a shmuck, which u probably take pride in so nice comment.

kerplunk: hook em horns! i graduated from ut in 2002. that would be awesome if you could hook me up with your cousin's email. i'de appreciate her/his opinion.

 

[mave]

A girl from my birthright trip had a brother in Sackler. He loved it, and he picked it over MD programs in the states. So, if you love Israel, go for it

 

[WildTumor]

hey well my cousin is an ms 4 at sackler and im pretty sure he got some good residencies(peds) in NYC. if you want i can find out his email for you. i dont know it off the top of my head.

How does he already know about his residencies?

 

[applyingsucks]

Israel is a great place. If you got an acceptance in the US I would take it over Sackler. I have friends that are currently at sackler, its the same curiq as a US curiq and you can place relatively well if you want a NYC residency (they have affiliations with NY hospitals).

However, most (not all) of the students at Sackler are kids who didn't cut it for US allopathic schools and still want the MD. Therefore it is still looked upon as a safety school, or a last resort.

I would go to the US school unless you need to be in Israel.

 

[drc243]

I just wanted to say that sackler is a very fine institution with a very good residency match. I have friends who have turned down einstein and downstate to go to sackler ,partially, because of a love for israel and partially because it is an excellent school. I do feel that sackler is much much better then any caribean school and is one of the best international schools in the world. Also its an american program not an international program. The one drawback to the school is that you need to learn or know hebrew by your third year for your clinical rotations. Before i got accepted to downstate, i put sackler ahead of albany, penn state, and nymed because i do feel their education is equivalent or better and i love israel and would rather live there instead of albany or hershey.

Best,
Dave

P.S. sirus virus- suicide bombers are nothing to joke about. I know of people whose lives have been destroyed by terrorists. As an EMT in israel last summer i witnessed firsthand the destruction caused by a terrorist organization. So please never make statements about suicide bombers without careful thought.

 

[kerplunk112]

I 2nd that...as much as i hate Bush i @#$@ love living in America...

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Moving to the Africa and Middle East forum...

 

[lainy105]

i am interested in this school, the overall experience, but i am worried about how successful i will be once i graduate and am looking for a competitive residency in the US. i am also a little worried about learning a different style of medicine (high technology-less attention to the art of medicine) than i would here in the US. I have been accepted to a couple of MD schools in the US, but i am still very interested in Sackler. I was just contacted for an interview and will go to learn more, but i just wanted to know if anyone knew more about the program and how the students fare when they graduate.

thx

I am also very interested in this school, and just set up an interview with them in a few weeks. From what I hear it's an excellent program. I talked to someone who is a 4th year there, and he said he knows kids in his class that matched into ophtolmology and orthopaedics, which are pretty competitive residencies. But I definitely hope to learn more about the school at my interview.

 

[UnNethertrash]

I just wanted to say that sackler is a very fine institution with a very good residency match. I have friends who have turned down einstein and downstate to go to sackler ,partially, because of a love for israel and partially because it is an excellent school. I do feel that sackler is much much better then any caribean school and is one of the best international schools in the world. Also its an american program not an international program. The one drawback to the school is that you need to learn or know hebrew by your third year for your clinical rotations. Before i got accepted to downstate, i put sackler ahead of albany, penn state, and nymed because i do feel their education is equivalent or better and i love israel and would rather live there instead of albany or hershey.

Best,
Dave

P.S. sirus virus- suicide bombers are nothing to joke about. I know of people whose lives have been destroyed by terrorists. As an EMT in israel last summer i witnessed firsthand the destruction caused by a terrorist organization. So please never make statements about suicide bombers without careful thought.

What's it like being an EMT in Israel, and if you are certified in the states can you just take a test or something to do it there? Just curious.

 

[DrWBK]

I graduated from Sackler in 2003 - I'll give you all my opinion of the school and my experience there, but if you have specific questions, I'll try to answer them later...

Sackler is an American program based in Tel Aviv - basically it is like any other medical school: first 2 years of basic classroom work with about 1/2 day per week of clinical exposure. The 3rd year is also similar, in which you do the basic clinical rotations in Israeli hospitals. During the 4th year, you spend the first half doing electives anywhere in the US you want and interview for residency. The last half of 4th yar is back in Tel Aviv where you tie up any lose ends and do some electives.

Overall, I have to say that my experience in Israel was amazing! I truly feel that I received an excellent education and was well prepared for residency (with the exception of some small administrative issues that took no longer than 1-2 weeks to figure out). Not only was my education on par (or beyond) my counterparts in the US, but I had a great time during medical school - living in another county teaches you so much more about life and the rest of the world than you'd ever imagine. Additionally, during my 3 1/2 years there, I traveled all around Europe, Jordan, went skiing in France, scuba diving in the sinai, and did a ton of backpacking and camping in Israel.

Now let's face it... there are two purposes to medical school - education and getting into a residency. The education at Sackler is great - teaching is as good as any I've had in the US (and you don't need to know Hebrew for 3rd or 4th years - it helps, but not manditory - I didn't know Hebrew and did fine). Now getting into a residency... I'm not going to lie... that is a little harder. If you do well in med school and on the boards (and you're a normal person), you'll get a good residency. From my class, we had people go to Northwestern, Mount Sinai, NYU, Cornel, Sedar Sinai, Minnesota, and I went to University of Colorado for Internal Medicine. Now, if you want to get into a top ranked residency (ie: Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins), this is probably not the place for you. While you can get into ortho, ophtho, and derm from Sackler (we had a few from my class), it is harder than coming from a US program.

As for me, I did very well on my boards, recently graduated from the University of Colorado Internal Medicine program, am currently working as a hospitalist in Denver, and am applying for a GI fellowship.

I'll quit rambling now... overall, I wouldn't trade my education or experience at Sackler for anything. Going to school in Israel and living in a foreign country isn't for everybody, but it definitly worked for me. If you have any specific questions, I'll try to answer them... good luck!

 

[leahsh]

I'm looking for Israeli psychometry preparation book in English. I'll appreciate any help.
Thanks.

 

[punchberry]

I'm looking for Israeli psychometry preparation book in English. I'll appreciate any help.
Thanks.

I think you asked this on every single thread in this forum...

I don't know any specifics for this test, but in general, you will not find prep books in a language other than those that a test is offered in. The psychometric has three sections: English, Hebrew, and Math. If you don't read Hebrew well enough to read a prep book, you will not score highly enough on this test to get into a medical school that has Hebrew as the language of instruction.

Disclaimer: I attend an American program in Israel. I have never taken the psychometric.

 

[tranquill]

Many Israeli officials argued against the Iraqi war. Like Shoher here: http://samsonblinded.org/blog/iraq

 

[illusenjester]

I'm glad I found this thread, I have been researching this school for about 3 days now, and even though I have a long way to go (only in high school) it's nice to hear experience from you all. Is Hebrew required to go to this school or is it entirely American? Sorry, haven't been researching that much.
x0x0 illy

 

[rmsteinberg]

I have an acceptance from Sackler and other U.S. stateside medical schools. I am interested in diagnostic neurology and would like to conduct some research (doesn't have to be major) in medical school. I have a house in the U.S. that I am selling, and am married with pets. I would love to hear any advice/information from anyone associated with the Sackler school. I don't speak Hebrew, Yiddish, or Russian, but love languages and living abroad. Might I be possibly hurting my career by being drawn to an international program?

 

[ijcMD]

I have an acceptance from Sackler and other U.S. stateside medical schools. I am interested in diagnostic neurology and would like to conduct some research (doesn't have to be major) in medical school. I have a house in the U.S. that I am selling, and am married with pets. I would love to hear any advice/information from anyone associated with the Sackler school. I don't speak Hebrew, Yiddish, or Russian, but love languages and living abroad. Might I be possibly hurting my career by being drawn to an international program?

Neurology is obtainable coming from Sackler, but in the end, it's easier to get if you just go to a U.S. MD school.

However, I don't regret my experience in Israel for a minute, as it has opened my eyes beyond the American society I grew up in.

 

[Guinea]

Neurology is obtainable coming from Sackler, but in the end, it's easier to get if you just go to a U.S. MD school.

However, I don't regret my experience in Israel for a minute, as it has opened my eyes beyond the American society I grew up in.

How much of a disadvantage would it be to be coming from Sackler? Let's say for boards, would you need to score 5-10 pts higher (minor disadvantage) or something like 20-30 pts higher for the same specialty or program? Do you know how grades are given during the clinical third year? Is it very arbitrary or pretty standardized (ie, are clinical grades dependent on how "friendly" the attending is to you or is it mostly dependent on you and your own abilities?)

From the stats that other SDNs have given, it seems Sackler accepts a lot of high MCATers. Would you say the class is cooperative or competitive amongst each other? Each year there is only one orthopedic surgery and 3 or 4 general surgery matches. Are these the only people who sought for these specialties or did in fact many try for them but failed to match into them?

Thanks a lot.

 

[wiscobadger]

How much of a disadvantage would it be to be coming from Sackler? Let's say for boards, would you need to score 5-10 pts higher (minor disadvantage) or something like 20-30 pts higher for the same specialty or program? Do you know how grades are given during the clinical third year? Is it very arbitrary or pretty standardized (ie, are clinical grades dependent on how "friendly" the attending is to you or is it mostly dependent on you and your own abilities?)

From the stats that other SDNs have given, it seems Sackler accepts a lot of high MCATers. Would you say the class is cooperative or competitive amongst each other? Each year there is only one orthopedic surgery and 3 or 4 general surgery matches. Are these the only people who sought for these specialties or did in fact many try for them but failed to match into them?

Thanks a lot.

anytime you get a bunch of med students together youll get quite a few "gunners" but i feel at sackler its a lot more relaxed. hard not to be when youre minutes away from the mediterranean. but jury's still out on ijcmd's class

 

[Guinea]

anytime you get a bunch of med students together youll get quite a few "gunners" but i feel at sackler its a lot more relaxed. hard not to be when youre minutes away from the mediterranean. but juries still out on ijcmd's class

Ain't that the truth. But the saddest thing is to gun in vain. Hopefully all the gunners at Sackler got what they wanted.

 

[TheTodd55]

even people in the US "gun in vain." its the same at any school. If you know what you want, and truly work for it - there is a good chance that you will get it. I know plenty of people in the states that did not get their first choices, in fact, i dont know many that DID get their first choice - it just doesnt work that way when you have more than one person pursuing the same position in a residency program.

Atmosphere of the first year class - not too bad. You have gunners, slackers, and then those that pray they will pass each test. We all pray to pass each test, and none of us seem to withhold information from another. We have a great group email going that keeps a forum for communication within the entire class.

the sea does help with all of this.

 

[ijcMD]

even people in the US "gun in vain." its the same at any school. If you know what you want, and truly work for it - there is a good chance that you will get it. I know plenty of people in the states that did not get their first choices, in fact, i dont know many that DID get their first choice - it just doesnt work that way when you have more than one person pursuing the same position in a residency program.

Atmosphere of the first year class - not too bad. You have gunners, slackers, and then those that pray they will pass each test. We all pray to pass each test, and none of us seem to withhold information from another. We have a great group email going that keeps a forum for communication within the entire class.

the sea does help with all of this.

the gunning doesn't really begin until 3rd year.... when ur class rank determines how strong your dean's letter will be... people get bad reputations... fast

 

[TheTodd55]

ijcMD, thanks for the info...sounds like 3rd year is treating you well.

good luck.

 

[womp]

the gunning doesn't really begin until 3rd year.... when ur class rank determines how strong your dean's letter will be... people get bad reputations... fast

what makes someone specifically a gunner as opposed to just say diligent? sorry naive ms0 here.

edit: nm, I searched up a succinct definition of a gunner: "A gunner is someone who is out to get you, not just someone who studies." For some reason I always thought gunners were just studyholics.

 

[laurengirl]

Thought I'd butt in here... My cousin went to Sackler (after not getting into any of the Canadian schools, which was weird, considering her competitive application, but anyway..) and LOVED it. She didn't have any problems in getting a good residency: she's know in PGY2 in Pediatrics in Rhode Island..
I don't know what GPA they require though, can anyone confirm?

 

[md1ywh]

Thought I'd butt in here... My cousin went to Sackler (after not getting into any of the Canadian schools, which was weird, considering her competitive application, but anyway..) and LOVED it. She didn't have any problems in getting a good residency: she's know in PGY2 in Pediatrics in Rhode Island..
I don't know what GPA they require though, can anyone confirm?

Standard 3.0. But interested parties should apply anyway and see what happens. It will cost you $50 to find out.

 

[kayMD]

Sackler accepts a 3.0?? What about MCATS?

 

[maji]

I would say it is highly doubtful Sackler takes a 3.0. I am an ms4, and I know the mcats range from 24-36+ but it is a smart class, and the program is only getting harder.

Once again, if you want a competitive residency, and dont mind reapplying to american schools, you should stay put. You will have an easier time with residency then we do, granted we match well, but we are at the disadvantage of being an IMG, and residency programs see it as that.

Assuming I match, I wont regret my sackler experience. And now that I am back in the states, I miss the hummos oh so much.

 

[meliora27]

Is the 2009 match list online anywhere?

 

[womp]

I would say it is highly doubtful Sackler takes a 3.0. I am an ms4, and I know the mcats range from 24-36+ but it is a smart class, and the program is only getting harder.

Once again, if you want a competitive residency, and dont mind reapplying to american schools, you should stay put. You will have an easier time with residency then we do, granted we match well, but we are at the disadvantage of being an IMG, and residency programs see it as that.

Assuming I match, I wont regret my sackler experience. And now that I am back in the states, I miss the hummos oh so much.

Congrats for making it to MS4, What specialty are you hoping to pursue? I remember seeing your posts on valuemd from back in 2006-2007, time flies.

 

[TopgunnugpoT]

Hey guys, does anyone know the deadline for the 2010 appliation? Its not mentioned on the website and The New York office wasnt helpfull. I want to apply in late april after my March 27 exam. will I still be a competitive applicant?

 

[Damege]

It says on the website the deadline is may 14

http://medicine.tau.ac.il/english/index.php/ny/admission/application


I'm seriously considering sacker, and I feel I have an excellent chance with my mcats and gpa, but like whats been said before, I'm worrying about residencies.

I'm trying to determine whats better, A unique experience in a far away place or an easier time in getting the residency I want. Life would be so much easier if I wanted to be an OB or ped.

 

[meliora27]

Random question, are classes at Sackler Mon through Fri or Sun through Thurs? Also, for current students, when talking with fellow medical students at US schools or rotating alongside of them while on US electives, how have your experiences compared? Particularly in the third year, is the clinical experience in Israel similar to the clinical experiences had my US medical students? I have heard wonderful things about the clinical experiences in Israel but I've never heard what makes the experiences so great.

 

[maji]

In reply to womp, I am going into pathology.

Classes are sunday through thursday. The reason most people view the clinical years as better is because we arent abused as much as the american students. We go in at a normal hour, and are taught almost exclusively by clinicians who have been practicing for many years. We do not have to deal with most of the paper work, scutwork, we just learn. I can say that my knowledge gained is definitely on par with the American students I am now rotating with.

The disadvantage is that when you go to the states for your first SubI, its a bit of shellshock for some. 24 hour shifts, night float and being on call is rough, but it doesnt take long to adjust.

So yeh, just to reiterate. If you arent sure about what you want to do, and are pretty sure that there are things you would like other than derm, neurosurg, ortho, urology, optho, rads, think about sackler. Those positions arent impossible to get, just puts you at a disadvantage.