Israel Elective

The Israel elective is currently not being offered due to the conflict in the region.

The Student Exchange Program

This elective is part of the Louis and Charlotte Kaitz BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine/Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School (HMS) Student Exchange Program that supports the exchange of senior medical students between the School of Medicine and HMS for clinical electives. Each year, two to three Israeli medical students undertake clinical electives at BUMC and up to 6 B.U. medical students undertake electives at HMS.

Description of Elective

This clinical elective is available to all fourth-year students interested in the Israeli health system or whose professional career would be enhanced by a unique experience in Middle East medicine at a world renowned medical, educational, and research institution. Rotations are located at the The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School and its affiliated hospitals (Hadassah Ein-Karem, Jerusalem; Hadassah Mount Scopus, Jerusalem; Kaplan Hospital, Rehovot). This is a large-capacity teaching hospital and its peripheral units.

Clinical placements are available in over 30 specialties/subspecialties. Fluency in Hebrew is mandatory for the following rotations: Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine (General), Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Ob/Gyn. Students usually rotate 5 days/week, Sunday through Thursday, about 6-8 hours/day, depending on the ward. Ward discussions are in Hebrew. In Israel, the weekend is Friday and Saturday (Sunday is a workday).

BU medical students are welcome to take one or two 4-week electives during the spring of their senior year. Students who undertake the elective are required to meet with Warren Hershman, MD, MPH, director of the student exchange program, for pre-departure training 6-8 weeks prior to the elective start date.

Housing & Financial Assistance for BU Medical Students

Dormitory housing and meal vouchers (one lunch voucher per day) are provided free of charge to BU medical students.

Each BU medical student in the program is reimbursed for the following expenses upon return from Israel:

  • Round-trip airfare up to $1200
  • Round-trip ground transportation (taxi or bus) to/from the airport (in Israel)
  • Bus transportation to/from the Hadassah dormitories if the student is not being housed in walking distance to the HMS campus.

Next Steps for Interested Students

If you are interested in the Israel elective, follow these steps to apply and receive funding:

  1. E-mail Ana Gregory, EdM to express your interest in the elective.
  2. After contacting Ana Gregory, each student must apply – at least 3 months in advance of the start date of the elective – directly through the Hadassah Medical Exchange Program by completing the Exchange Students Registration Form. When completing the registration form, indicate in the ‘Other Comments and Requests’ section that you are a BU medical student
    and thus you are exempt from the elective fee. You may also indicate in the application that you are covered by malpractice insurance through the School of Medicine while in Israel.
  3. To add the Israel elective to your schedule, complete the ADD Form for GH Elective, and e-mail it to Ana Gregory. Evaluator information for the ADD form is as follows: Elisheva Dovev, Registrar, Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem, ISRAEL 91010.
  4. To secure funding for the Israel elective, students must complete a Travel Grant Application.