Israel Dramatically Expands Medical School Admissions Amid Doctor Shortage

Israel has significantly increased the number of spots available in its medical schools, a move driven by a critical shortage of physicians. In 2020, the competition for medical school was fierce, with 4.6 applicants vying for each available place. This led many aspiring doctors to pursue their studies abroad in countries like Romania, Hungary, and Italy. However, the landscape has shifted rapidly. By 2024, the applicant-to-spot ratio had fallen to 2.6, and in 2025, it stood at approximately 3.

The expansion is reflected in admission numbers: 695 students were admitted in 2005, rising to 853 in 2021. By 2024, this figure nearly doubled to 1,446, with around 1,200 admitted in 2025. The Ministry of Health aims to admit 2,000 new medical students annually by 2030.

This surge in admissions is a direct response to the doctor deficit. In 2024, only 28% of newly licensed physicians in Israel received their training domestically; the rest studied abroad. Furthermore, between 2023 and 2025, approximately 1,300 doctors, about 3% of the total physician workforce, left Israel, with a fifth of them being over 45 years old.

New medical programs and schools have opened, each with varying admission requirements and tuition fees, which range from free to nearly NIS 100,000 annually. While admission standards remain high, with psychometric test scores of 680 and matriculation averages of 101 often required, the increased capacity means that qualified candidates are more likely to be accepted than in previous years.

Despite the long training period, which can last up to 7.5 years, followed by internships and residencies, the expansion is expected to alleviate the doctor shortage towards the end of the decade. In the interim, Israel continues to rely on foreign-trained doctors, though a high percentage, 86.5%, of Israelis who study medicine abroad do return to practice in Israel. The increased domestic capacity offers a more accessible, albeit still costly, pathway for aspiring physicians and their families.