Hungary's Debrecen University Opens Medical Campus in Eilat to Address Doctor Shortage

Hungary's Debrecen University has opened a branch of its medical faculty in Eilat, Israel, aiming to alleviate a critical shortage of physicians within the country. The move highlights systemic issues in domestic medical training, with only 28% of doctors licensed in 2024 having studied in Israel. The remaining physicians either trained abroad or immigrated.

The new Eilat campus is intended to tackle the deficit of medical professionals and the difficulty in increasing enrollment at Israeli universities, which maintain stringent admission requirements, including high psychometric test scores. In contrast, Debrecen University's system focuses on natural science exams without mandatory Israeli tests. The Bank of Israel has previously warned of an exacerbating specialist shortage.

Concerns exist that the "Yatziv reform," which imposes strict requirements on foreign medical graduates, could reduce the influx of new doctors by 400 to 600 annually, disproportionately affecting Israel's periphery. Approximately 20 Israeli students have already begun their studies at Debrecen University in Hungary and intend to transfer to the Eilat campus upon receiving final licensing.

While the Eilat campus is seen as a positive step for strengthening southern Israel and retaining students, it exposes a paradox in the Israeli healthcare system, which relies on foreign institutions to train its own doctors, according to C14.