Ariel University to Launch 6-Year Medical Program, Eilat to Host International Branch

Israel's Council for Higher Education (CHE) has approved a new six-year Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program at Ariel University, set to admit 80 students annually starting this academic year. The decision, finalized after review by a professional commission led by Professor Yonatan Halevy, is part of a broader effort to expand medical education in Israel and increase the number of domestically trained physicians.

This initiative follows the recent establishment of medical faculties at the Weizmann Institute, Reichman University, and the University of Haifa. These expansions have collectively raised the total number of medical students in Israel to 1,446 this academic year, a significant increase from 800 just five years ago.

Concurrently, an international medical school is being established in Eilat in partnership with Hungary's University of Debrecen. The first 20 students have already begun their studies in Hungary and are expected to transfer to Eilat for their second semester in February 2027, pending CHE licensing. The Eilat campus will initially offer the first three preclinical years, focusing on fundamental sciences, with clinical years also planned to take place in Israel. A memorandum of understanding with the Clalit health maintenance organization will allow students to undertake clinical practice starting in their fourth year at Clalit hospitals.

The Eilat program aims to enroll approximately 60 students annually, with plans to increase this to 300 within five years. Tuition is set at around 16,000 euros per year, and the Eilat municipality is developing a scholarship program. The project involves collaboration between the University of Debrecen, Ariel University, Clalit, the Eilat municipality, and the Medical Doctor Academy. Initially, Ben-Gurion University was expected to support the program but withdrew, leading to the current arrangement with a foreign university.

In addition to the M.D. program, the CHE has also approved a Master's program for Physician Assistants at Ariel University, marking the first such academic program in Israel. This initiative aims to train professionals who can work alongside specialist physicians, performing medical procedures within the scope defined by a 2024 amendment to the law regulating medical professions.