1 | P a g e

NYS Board of Medicine – Site Visit

February 11 – 14, 2013

Medical School of International Health, Ben-Gurion University

Beer Sheva, Israel

Table of Contents I. Institutional Setting .............................................................................................................. 2

A. Governance and Administration ......................................................................................... 9

B. Academic Environment .....................................................................................................12

II. Education Program for the Medical Degree ........................................................................14

A. Educational Objectives ......................................................................................................14

B. Structure ...........................................................................................................................17

1. General Design ..............................................................................................................17

2. Content ..........................................................................................................................21

C. Teaching & Evaluation ......................................................................................................27

D. Curriculum Management ...................................................................................................30

1. Roles and Responsibilities .............................................................................................30

E. Evaluation of Program Effectiveness .................................................................................34

III. Medical Students ............................................................................................................38

A. Selection ...........................................................................................................................38

B. Medical Student Services ..................................................................................................41

1. Academic and Career Counseling ..................................................................................41

2. Health Services and Personal Counseling .....................................................................42

C. The Learning Environment ................................................................................................43

IV. Faculty............................................................................................................................45

V. Educational Resources ......................................................................................................47

2 | P a g e

I. Institutional Setting

IS-1

Recognition by appropriate authorities of country. The international medical school shall be

recognized by the appropriate civil authorities of the country in which the school is located as

an acceptable educational program for physicians, and graduates of the program shall be

eligible to pursue licensure or other authorization to practice medicine in such country.

Israel is recognized by the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and

Accreditation (NCFMEA). As such, standards are considered comparable to those used to

accredit medical schools in the United States. (Appendix 1)

The Council for Higher Education in Israel (CHE) is the academic accrediting body in Israel.

All degree programs of institutes of Higher Education in Israel must obtain the approval of

the Council.

The MD degree programs at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (including that of the

Medical School for International Health) were last approved by the Council for Higher

Education in August 2007 (Appendix 2). They are currently being reviewed by the Council for

re-accreditation.

MD Degrees of both the Hebrew and English programs are recognized by the Israeli Ministry

of Health. Once all of the Ministry’s requirements have been fulfilled, holders of the BGU

MD degree may work as physicians in Israel.

Most (some are not US citizens) students of the Medical School for International Health take

Part 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Exams between 2nd and 3rd year. They then

take Part 2 (CS&CK) usually during 4th year. Once they have successfully completed Parts 1

& 2 of the USMLE, and graduated from MSIH, they are entitled to receive their ECFMG

Certificate - allowing them to begin residency in the US. MSIH has excellent working

arrangements with ECFMG and in recognition of this fact, we were asked to be one of only

six schools worldwide to sit on an advisory committee involving an international project

ECFMG is piloting.

3 | P a g e

IS-2

An institution that offers a medical school must engage in a planning process that sets the

direction for its program and results in measurable outcomes.

To ensure the ongoing vitality and successful adaptation of its medical school to the rapidly

changing environment of academic medicine, the institution needs to establish periodic or cyclical

institutional planning processes and activities. The institution must connect its learning outcomes

assessment to its mission plans and objectives in order to continuously improve the quality of its

medical education. Planning efforts that have proven successful typically involve the definition

and periodic reassessment of both short-term and long term goals for accomplishment of the

institutional mission. By framing goals in terms of measurable outcomes wherever circumstances

permit, the institution can more readily track progress toward their achievement. The manner in

which the institution engages in planning will vary according to available resources and local

circumstances, but it should be able to document its vision, mission, and goals; evidence indicating

their achievement; and strategies for periodic or ongoing reassessment of successes and unmet

challenges.

Mission

The mission of the Medical School for International Health is to:

• Address the need for medical education that focuses on the interface between

international health and community and preventive medicine;

• Promote international collaborations on research and practice relating to population

health needs in developing countries and the industrialized world;

• Provide a mechanism for the exchange of faculty and students in the area of

international health research;

• Train and educate future leaders in international health.

As part of the cross-cultural communications, our students are required not only to

understand the behavior, expectations, beliefs and living conditions of different ethnic

groups but are required to contend with communications, difficulties arising from a lack of a

common language. Students of MSIH are taught Hebrew during their first 2 years of study,

so that when entering their clinical studies in the 3rd. year, they can communicate with

Israeli patients. This is achieved by an intensive 6 daily week study program at the

beginning of the 1st year followed by 4 hours of Hebrew each week for the rest of the year.

In the second year, as part of the clinical communications skills course, students receive 140

hours of Hebrew training in a clinical environment; for example, at the same time as

learning to take a case history, students are encouraged to do so in the Hebrew language.

As many of the patients in the wards may not speak either Hebrew or English, (Russian,

Arabic, Chinese or Amharic) students, during their clinical training learn to communicate

with patients without a common language.

The MSIH aims to promote excellence in students who wish to be at the forefront of a new

kind of medical education that addresses the need for physicians who are sensitive to

personal and popula­tion needs, community issues, and global concerns. The program

emphasizes critical knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable practitioners to deliver and

4 | P a g e

manage health care for diverse populations in a culturally sensitive, cost-effective manner.

The MSIH has identified the following core areas and specific competencies that are integral

to the practice of International Health and Medicine in which graduates of the school can

expect to gain proficiency.

International Health is defined as a concept that focuses on the cultural competencies and

differences of health practices, policies, and systems within individual countries and

cultures. Through an integrated curriculum of medical science with interna­tional health

competencies and small-course modules, students learn the impact of economic, socio-

political, cultural, environmental, and policy factors on the health of individuals and

populations. Students learn how to use this knowledge to advance policies to promote

health and prevent disease.

Graduates of the MSIH possess competencies in the following areas:

• Making medical and health decisions on behalf of patients and communities with

sensitivity to ethical issues of diverse communities;

• Diagnosing, treating, and monitoring individual and community health problems and

needs;

• Delivering culturally sensitive, high quality healthcare within the framework of the

political, economic, and cultural conditions of a given community;

• Providing care to developing and under-served areas according to principles of

primary and community care;

• Practicing preventive medicine and determining the risks for individuals and

populations associated with different environmental, epidemiological, and

nutritional conditions;

• Playing a leading role in cooperating with, and obtaining help from, appropriate

agencies and international health care organizations in response to disasters,

epidemics, and other international health crises;

• Using medical technology to solve practi­cal medical problems, access medical

information resources, and chart the progress of individual patients, and/or monitor

epidemiological studies.

5 | P a g e

Evidence of Achievement

Below are tables illustrating USMLE performance, Match rates, residency placements as well

as graduate contribution to Global Health.

USMLE Pass Rate 2008-2012

BGU USMLE First Time Pass Rate

Year Step 1 Step 2 CK Step 2 CS

2008 81.25% 100.00% 94.12%

2009 88.37% 97.62% 95.24%

2010 91.38% 98.04% 90.48%

2011 77.61% 96.30% 87.80%

2012 79.25% 90.00% 92.86%

Avg 83.57% 96.39% 92.10%

The Match

National Residency Matching Program Data - 2008-2012* Entered Matched Rate

2008 19 19 100%

2009 30 27 90%

2010 37 33 89%

2011 26 22 85%

2012 25 25 100%

* The above table includes only the graduates that entered the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). It does

not show those graduates who:

• Entered residency in Canada

• Signed Outside the Match (permitted for Foreign Medical Graduates)

• Remained in Israel to complete an Israeli residency

• Took a Masters in Public Health

• Pursued Research

• Worked in the developing world prior to commencing residency

6 | P a g e

The table below provides an overview of graduates eligible for residency:

Year Eligible for Residency

Entered Residency

Didn't Enter Residency

Remained in Israel

MPH GHM/ Research

2008 25 25 - - - -

2009 32 28 3 - 1 -

2010 39 36 3 - - -

2011 30 26 2 1 - 1

2012 26 23 2 1 - -

Please see Appendix 3 Match Lists.

GHM activities of students and graduates

From the graduation of the Charter Class in 2002, the MSIH initiated a longitudinal

assessment of student outcomes. This is continued through distribution of online surveys

and updates, alumni and residency director interviews, and individual follow-up. As of

October 2012, the MSIH had received 232 surveys on the career paths and global health

activities of its 357 graduates. A list of alumni publications is attached. (Appendix 4)

In 2011, results of our alumni tracking were presented at the annual conference of the

Consortium of Universities in Global Health and the Global Health Council. A 2012 overview

of our alumni outcomes includes the following findings and conclusions:

7 | P a g e

• The majority of our graduates are employed in primary care fields (Internal

Medicine, Pediatrics, OB-Gyn, Family Medicine).

• In multiple respects, most graduates of the first five MSIH classes (2002-2006) are

meeting, if not surpassing, the MSIH’s benchmark for advancing its mission and GH

priorities through involvement in one or more of the postgraduate areas outlined in

section IS-2 above.

• Early tracking of more recent graduates suggest a continuing propensity of MSIH

graduates to incorporate GH activities and service in their careers.

• Findings that > 80% of MSIH alumni from the first 5 graduating classes and > 67%

from the first 8 cohorts are engaged in significant GH work confirm that the BGU-CU

partnership is meeting its objectives to develop a GH-focused curriculum and

training opportunities that prepare doctors to advance GH.

8 | P a g e

9 | P a g e

A. Governance and Administration

IS-3

The medical school shall be organized and have in place a planning process that sets forth the

responsibilities of all sectors of the school community and that sets the direction for its program

and results in measurable outcomes.

The Medical School for International Health is governed by the bylaws of Ben-Gurion

University of the Negev as well as those of its Faculty of Health Sciences. (The bylaws of the

University alone extend to 584 pages and those of the Faculty are several hundred more.) In

addition, students of MSIH are subject to the regulations of MSIH attached hereto, marked

Appendix 5.

Administrative Meetings

These are held both routinely and ad-hoc. With respect to the routine meetings:

a) Frequent meetings with the President Rivka Carmi of Ben-Gurion University of the

Negev and the Dean Gaby Schreiber of the Faculty of Health Sciences and relevant

faculty and hospital directors.

b) Bi-weekly core administration meetings.

The school director, Dr. A Mark Clarfield, Associate Director, Dr. Alan Jotkowitz and

school Administrative Director, Michael Diamond meet at least twice per week for one

hour to discuss ongoing issues and provide instructions to other staff.

c) Monthly meetings of the Executive Committee of MSIH

Chaired by Dr. A. Mark Clarfield. The Executive Committee consists of senior faculty,

all three Associate Directors, the four year coordinators as well as Founding BGU-MSIH

Director, Dr. Carmi Margolis, and, when available, Dr. Deckelbaum. The Executive

Committee deals with strategic issues and long-term planning and acts in a critically

important advisory capacity to the two co-directors.

d) Conference calls with relevant CU NY site staff every two weeks.

e) Twice-yearly visits to CU NY by Dr. A. Mark Clarfield at which he holds meetings with

the New York MSIH staff as well with the CU Dean, Dr. Lee Goldman, and Associate

Dean, Dr. Steve Shea, Dean of Students, Dr. Lisa Mellman and other relevant MSIH-CU

staff in NY.

f) Thrice-annual visits to BGU of Drs. Richard Deckelbaum and Lynne Quittell, (Associate

Director (NY), Student Affairs) to meet with the Administration and the Faculty and to

give lectures at the Medical School.

g) Weekly administration (staff) meetings.

These are chaired by Mr. Michael Diamond to deal with ongoing administrative issues.

10 | P a g e

IS-4

There must be clear understanding of the authority and responsibility for matters related to the medical school among the chief official of

the medical school, the faculty, and the parent institution.

11 | P a g e

MSIH BGU Administrative Staff

Position Name

Examinations/ Electives Secy. David Arnstein

Assistant to Dr. Clarfield Limor Azoulay

Assistant for Examinations Sivan Bagola (Tal Idan)

Financial Aid Administrator Lynne Conroy

Timetable Coordinator Sharon Dagan

Assistant for Student Affairs Gaby Koren

Assistant for Student Affairs Liora Malinek

Accreditation Coordinator Carol Novoseller

Global Health Secretary Ravit Ram

Financial Aid Assistant Diana Marcus

English Editor Amanda Yiftachel

School Assistant Anat Zer

Student Counselor Itzhak Lander, PhD

Student Liaisons: Daphna Oshri

Evyatar Evron

Dana Romem

12 | P a g e

IS-5

The chief official of a medical school and the other members of the School administration shall

be qualified by education and experience to provide leadership in medical education, scholarly

activity, and patient care.

Appendix 6 includes the short biographies of the following chief officers:

A. Mark Clarfield MD, FRCPC

Richard J. Deckelbaum, MD, FRCPC

Lynne Quittell, MD

Alan Jotkowitz MD

Tzvi Dwolatzky MD

Asher Moser MD

Michael Diamond LLB

Detailed CV’s can be provided upon request.

B. Academic Environment

IS-6

Medical students should have opportunities to learn in academic environments that permit

interaction with students enrolled in other health professions, graduate and professional degree

programs and in clinical environments that provide opportunities for interaction with

physicians in graduate medical education and continuing medical education programs.

These academic, graduate medical education, and continuing medical education programs

should contribute to the learning environment of the medical school. Periodic and formal

review of these programs culminating in their accreditation by the appropriate accrediting

bodies would provide evidence of their adherence to high standards of quality in education,

research, and scholarship. Whenever appropriate, medical students would be able to

participate in selected activities associated with these programs in order to facilitate

achievement of their personal and professional goals.

MSIH is part of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - which

includes an Israeli MD program with 90 students in each of seven years, the Schools of

Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratories, Emergency Medicine, Health

Systems Management, Gerontology and Public Health. All programs are taught in the same

geographical area. MSIH students have the opportunity to interact with those of all other

programs in the Faculty. Soroka University Medical Center has residency programs in all the

major disciplines and subspecialties including, but not limited to, Medicine, Pediatrics,

Surgery, Surgical Subspecialties, Obstetrics and Gyn and Emergency Medicine. During

students’ clinical rotations, they work closely with senior staff and residents from the

13 | P a g e

relevant particular discipline. These programs in the Faculty are all reviewed and accredited

by the Council for Higher Education in Israel. In fact in Israel much more teaching of medical

students is taken on by senior staff than residents (in contradistinction to that which

pertains in the US) which of course works to the benefits of our students.

14 | P a g e

II. Education Program for the Medical Degree

A. Educational Objectives

ED-1

A medical school must have in place a system with central oversight to define the objectives of

its program. The objectives must serve as guides for establishing curriculum content and

provide the basis for evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

Objectives for the medical school as a whole serve as statements of what students are expected to

learn or accomplish during the course of the program. It is expected that the objectives of the

medical school will be formally adopted by the curriculum governance process and the faculty (as a

whole or through its recognized representatives). Among those who should also exhibit familiarity

with these objectives are the academic leadership of clinical affiliates who share in the

responsibility for delivering the program.

As outlined in section IS-2 above, and as defined in the MSIH operating agreement and

publications, in addition to basic medical sciences and clinical competencies for the practice

of allopathic medicine, the Medical School for International Health has identified the

following core areas and specific competencies that are integral to the practice of

International Health and Medicine in which graduates of the school can expect to gain

proficiency.

We define International Health as focusing on the cultural competencies and differences of

health practices, policies, and systems within individual countries and cultures. Through an

integrated curriculum of medical science with international health competencies and small-

course modules, students are taught about the impact of economic, socio-political, cultural,

environmental, and policy factors on the health of individuals and populations. Students

learn how to use this knowledge to advance policies to promote health and prevent disease.

Graduates of the MSIH possess competencies in the following areas:

1. Making medical and health decisions on behalf of patients and communities with

sensitivity to ethical issues of diverse communities;

2. Diagnosing, treating, and monitoring indi­vidual and community health problems

and needs;

3. Delivering culturally sensitive, high quality healthcare within the framework of the

political, economic, and cultural conditions of a given community;

4. Providing care to developing and under-served areas according to principles of

primary and commu­nity care;

5. Practicing preventive medicine and determin­ing the risks for individuals and

populations associ­ated with different environmental, epidemiological, and

nutritional conditions;

15 | P a g e

6. Playing a leading role in cooperating with, and obtaining help from, appropriate

agencies and international health care organizations in response to disasters,

epidemics, and other international health crises;

7. Using medical technology to solve practi­cal medical problems, access medical

information resources, and chart the progress of individual patients, and/or monitor

epidemiological studies.

ED-2

The medical school shall have in place a system with central oversight to define the objectives of

its program in outcome-based terms that facilitate assessment of student progress in developing

essential physician competencies, and such objectives shall be made available to all medical

students and to the faculty, residents, and others with direct responsibilities for medical student

education and assessment.

Objectives of our program in "outcome-based terms" that enable us to assess the student

progress in becoming what is expected of a physician; knowledge, skills, behaviors and

attitudes expected of the students with outcome measures. (Examples in the AAMC Medical

School Objectives Project and other places listed in the Approval Standards booklet).

1. Pre-clinical

Each pre-clinical course offers a syllabus which includes what the student is expected

to learn, as well as a schedule and academic requirements, (attendance, labs, exams,

etc)

2. Clinical

MSIH offers seven basic clinical clerkships, (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Ob/Gyn, Family

Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Neurology), in the 3rd year as well as the

opportunity in the 4th year to take four electives at Columbia University or a CU-

affiliated hospital in New York. In addition, in the 4th year, students attend two

months at a designated Global Medicine site, (most of which are in developing

countries). Finally, upon their return to Beer Sheva after their Global Medicine

experience, students take four two-week selectives; two in surgical (ENT,

Ophthalmology, Plastics, Urology, etc) and two in medical subspecialties,

(Hematology, Geriatrics, Oncology, etc).

The Medical Director and the three deputies carefully oversee and coordinate all of these

offerings. As these four physicians are all senior members of the Ben-Gurion University

Faculty of Health Sciences, and on staff at Soroka Hospital as well as having excellent and

close relations with the staff at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, they have intimate knowledge

of all clinical sites and teachers of the MSIH students.

ED-3

An institution that offers a medical school must have in place a system with central oversight to

ensure that the faculty define the types of patients and clinical conditions that medical students

must encounter, the appropriate clinical setting for the educational experiences, and the

16 | P a g e

expected level of medical student responsibility. The faculty must monitor medical student

experiences and modify them as necessary to ensure that the objectives of the medical school are

met.

The institution that offers a medical school is required to establish a system to

specify the types of patients or clinical conditions that medical students must

encounter and to monitor and verify the medical students' experiences with patients

so as to remedy any identified gaps. The system must ensure that all medical

students have the required experiences. For example, if a medical student does not

encounter patients with a particular clinical condition (e.g., because it is seasonal),

the medical student should be able to remedy the gap by a simulated experience) or

in another clerkship. When clerkships/clerkship rotations in a given discipline are

provided at multiple instructional sites, compliance with this standard may be

linked to compliance with standard ED-9, which requires that the medical school

demonstrate comparability of educational experiences across instructional sites.

In the clinical sites, Medical Students are required to complete admissions on a fixed

number of patients with the most common presenting symptoms and diagnosis in that

specialty. These admissions are reviewed by the attending physician responsible for the

education in that particular clerkship. For example in the Internal Medicine Clerkship,

students are expected to complete a history and physical exam on patients presenting with

chest pain, shortness of breath and abdominal pain, and with common diagnosis such as

myocardial infarction, asthma, hyperglycemia and sepsis, among others. If students are

unable for a particular reason to admit these patients, the medical simulation course offers

an opportunity to fill in the gaps in their knowledge, as students learn to care for patients

with chest pain, shortness of breath, hyperglycemia and sepsis. The same pertains for each

of the other clinical specialties.

ED-4

The objectives of a medical school must be made known to all medical students and to the

faculty, residents, and others with direct responsibilities for medical student education and

assessment. The school must to able to document compliance with this standard.

MSIH objectives and a description of the admissions process can be found on the MSIH

websites both at Columbia University and at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. A

hardcopy student handbook is given to all staff and students at the commencement of each

year. A copy of the Handbook can be provided at request.

17 | P a g e

B. Structure

1. General Design

ED-5-6

The medical education program shall provide at least 130 weeks of instruction, and the

curriculum of the medical school shall provide a general professional education and prepare

medical students for entry into graduate medical education in any discipline.

1st Year Course Number Name of Course Course Coordinator 481-8-1010 Emergency Medicine Moran Corem 481-8-1070 Global Health and Medicine Dr. Shay Pintov 481-8-1062 Hebrew Language Ms. Irit Matmor 481-8-1011 Microbiology Dr. Leslie Lobel 481-8-1040 Biochemistry Prof. Nava Bashan 481-8-1038 Human Genetics Dr. Ohad Birk 481-8-1020 Biostatistics Dr. Dahlia Weitzman 481-8-1018 Histology Dr. Michal Herschfinkel 481-8-1019 Immunology Dr. Eli Lewis 481-8-1016 Clinical & Global Medicine Dr. Amit Dotan 481-8-1042 Molecular Biology Dr. Clay Davis 481-8-1042 Cell Biology Prof. Yacob Gopas 481-8-1090 Epidemiology Dr. Dahlia Weitzman 481-8-1006 Physiology Dr. Amir Mor 481-8-1012 Microbiology Dr. Leslie Lobel 481-8-1017 Clinical & Global Medicine Dr. Amit Dotan 481-8-1022 Pharmacology Dr. David Stepensky 481-8-1024 Pathology Dr. Alan Jotkowitz 481-8-1071 Global Health and Medicine Dr. Tzvi Dwolatzky 481-8-1052 Hebrew Language Ms. Irit Matmor 481-8-1005 Endocrinology Dr. Jonathan Arbelle 481-8-1023 Hematology System Dr. Aaron Tomer

2nd Year Course Number Name of System Coordinator 481-8 2072 Clinical Communication Skills Dr. Amir Mor 481-8-2021 Cardiovascular System Dr. Jean-Marc Weinstein 481-8-2022 Respiratory System Dr. Micha Aviram 481-8-2026 Gastrointestinal System Dr. Leslie Eidelman 481-8-2028 Neuro-anatomy Dr. Moni Benifla 481-8-2062 Human Anatomy – Abdomen & Pelvis,

Chest and Thorax, Head and Neck, Limbs Dr. Ze’ev Silverman

481-8-2064 Human Anatomy – Head and Neck Dr. Daniel Fishman *481-8-2023 Integration of Basic Sciences Dr. Alan Jotkowitz 481-8-2027 Nephrology System Dr. Yoram Yagil 481-8-2030 Rheumatology System Dr. Mahmoud Abu Shakra 481-8-2079 Reproductive System Dr. Eyal Sheiner 481-8-2095 Psychiatry System Dr. Ari Lauden 481-8-2098 Neurology System Dr. Gal Ifergane *481-8-2019 The Healer's Art Dr. Mike Matar

Dr. Tzvi Dwolatsky

18 | P a g e

*481-8-2015 Literature and Medicine Dr. Richard Sobel * Elective course

3rd Year Course Number Name of Clerkship Coordinator # Weeks 481-8-3070 Introduction to Clinical

Medicine (ICM) Dr. Miri Zetsker

3 481-8-3010 Emergency Medicine Dr. Uri Netz 1 481-8-3030 Cross Cultural Medicine Dr. Agneta Golan 0.5 481-8-3071 Pediatrics Dr. Orna Staretz-

Chachem 7

481-8-3073 Internal Medicine Dr. Alan Jotkowitz 9 481-8-3072 Family Medicine Dr. Tamira Feinsilver 4 481-8-3074 Surgery Dr. Nitza Heiman

Newman 6

481-8-3078 Psychiatry Dr. Michael Matar 4 481-8-3079 Obstetrics & Gynecology Dr. Eyal Sheiner 5 481-8-3098 Neurology Dr. Ronnie Milo 3

4th year

Sixteen weeks of elective courses (including a sub-internship) must be taken in the first half

of the year, any or all of which may be taken at Columbia University’s Faculty of Health

Sciences in New York. Electives may also be completed elsewhere in the U.S. or in Israel.

The Global Health (GH) Clerkship is an eight week clinical experience that usually takes place

in a developing country during the fourth year from mid-January to mid-March. The goal of

the GH Clerkship is to learn how to promote health and provide good medical care, with

limited resources, in a developing country.

Global Health Clerkships are followed by four short, two-week selective courses from the

following:

Selective Course Number Course Coordinator

Plastic Surgery 481-8-4016 Dr. A. Brazovsky

Neurosurgery 481-8-4018 Dr. A. Cohen Gastrointestinal 481-8-4019 Dr. S. Delgado

Pediatric Oncology 481-8-4023 Dr. Y. Kapelushnik Pulmonology 481-8-4026 Dr. L. Avnon

Nephrology 481-8-4027 Dr. Y. Yagil

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 481-8-4028 Dr. O. Nachlieli Urology 481-8-4029 Dr. Neulander/Dr. Cytron

Palliative Care 481-8-4033 Dr. Y. Singer Pediatric Surgery 481-8-4044 Dr. N. Heiman-Neuman

Vascular Surgery 481-8-4045 Dr. G. Szendro Hematology 481-8-4046 Dr. I. Levy

Oncology and Radiation Therapy 481-8-4083 Dr. D. Geffen

Ear Nose Throat 481-8-4090 Dr. Y. Slovik Orthopedics 481-8-4091 Dr. E. Rath

Ophthalmology 481-8-4093 Dr. B. Kaneizar Anesthesiology 481-8-4096 Dr. Y. Shapira

Radiology 481-8-4097 Dr. D. London

Dermatology 481-8-4098 Dr. A. Cohen Geriatrics 481-8-4099 Dr. A. M. Clarfield

19 | P a g e

Attached, (Appendix 7) is a sample academic transcript showing the total number of course

hours in the students’ first and second years of study, and the total number of weeks in the

third and fourth year of study.

ED-7

A medical school must include instructional opportunities for active learning and independent

study to foster the skills necessary for lifelong learning.

It is expected that the methods of instruction and assessment used in courses and clerkships will

provide medical students with opportunities to develop lifelong learning skills. These skills include

self-assessment on learning needs; the independent identification, analysis, and synthesis of

relevant information; and the appraisal of the credibility of information sources. Medical students

should receive explicit experiences in using these skills, and they should be assessed and receive

feedback on their performance.

The development of lifelong learning skills is a core focus of the School. All students are

required to take courses in both Biostatistics and Epidemiology with a focus on the critical

appraisal of the medical literature. Students are exposed to modern tools of medical

informatics through an in-depth acquaintance with the medical library and sessions in how

to best harness new technologies to help in patient care. These skills are then put into

practice through the use of problem-based learning sessions and a required literature

review of a major topic in Global Health. Students’ ability to process information is assessed

during the clinical rotations and through the extensive use of Objective Structured Clinical

Exams (OSCE).

ED-8

The curriculum of the medical school shall incorporate the fundamental principles of medicine

and its underlying scientific concepts; promote the development of skills of critical judgment

based on evidence and experience; and develop medical students' abilities to use such principles

and skills in solving problems of health and disease.

The scientific basis of medical practice is learnt through in-depth exposure to the basic

sciences including Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology,

Pharmacology, Physiology, Genetics and Immunology during the first year of Medical

School. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and small group sessions are used in these courses to

develop critical thinking skills and the ability to interact with fellow students and expert

guides. During the second year of medical school, a systems-based approach is used to learn

the patho-physiology of disease. Systems taught include Cardiovascular, Respiratory,

Nephrology, Gastrointestinal, Reproductive, Musculoskeletal, Hematology and

Endocrinology. During the third year, knowledge of the scientific principles is incorporated

into the care of clinical patients. On the wards students work in small groups, under the

close supervision of a personal tutor, who in real time is able to assess their critical thinking

skills and provide appropriate feedback. OSCE exams are another tool used to evaluate and

assess students.

20 | P a g e

ED-9

The medical school shall demonstrate that it provides comparable educational experiences and

equivalent methods of assessment across all instructional sites within a given discipline.

Clerkships are functionally identical at all clinical sites. Clinical evaluation is provided

through the use of a standardized evaluation form and OSCE exam. Students’ knowledge is

assessed using a standardized National Board of Medical Examiners (NMBE) shelf exam in all

clinical clerkships. In addition, the syllabus is the same at all instructional sites. At Soroka

University Medical Center, faculty frequently rotate from one department to another (eg.

from Medicine Department A to Medicine Department B), ensuring an element of

standardization between sites. The proportion of time spent in inpatient and ambulatory

settings is roughly equivalent in all sites.

There is ample opportunity for all faculty to improve their teaching and assessment skills. A

mandatory retreat focusing on teaching and assessment methods is given to all new faculty

members. Throughout the school year, faculty development sessions in topics such as

question writing and teaching skills are made available to all faculty. In addition, a

comprehensive year-long faculty development course is held for interested individuals.

There is an orientation meeting for students and site directors prior to the start of the

clerkship as well as an evaluation session at the end of each clerkship attended by student

representatives and course and site directors.

ED-10

An approved medical school must notify the New York State Education Department, when

applicable, of any substantial change in the program including:

Any change in ownership, governance, or leadership

Plans for any major modification of its curriculum

Any change of class size or total enrollment greater than 20% from the original

application on file with the Department

Any change of more than 10% in the number of students participating in long-term

clinical clerkships in New York State as compared to the number of students

participating in such clerkships during the last approval cycle. Any change in

existing hospital affiliation agreements or addition of new affiliation agreements.

The notification should include the explicitly-defined goals of the change, the plans for

implementation, and the methods that will be used to evaluate the results. Planning for curriculum

change should consider the incremental resources that will be required, including physical

facilities and space, faculty and resident effort, library facilities and operations, information

management needs, and computer hardware. In view of the increasing pace of discovery of new

knowledge and technology in medicine, the Education Department encourages innovation that will

increase the efficiency and improve the effectiveness of medical education.

In 2001, as part of their collaboration between the Medical School for International Health,

Ben-Gurion University, and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, a

medical student training agreement was signed with New York Presbyterian Hospital to

formalize academic oversight and administrative procedures for visiting fourth year medical

students from BGU to take fourth year electives at that Hospital. The BGU-CU collaboration

21 | P a g e

agreement signed in 2001 and renewed in 2010 also provides for exchanges of fourth year

medical students from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons to BGU and

its global health clerkship sites. All of these student exchanges are for fourth year electives;

no BGU students complete required third year electives in New York State or elsewhere

outside of BGU’s affiliated clinical sites in Israel.

Fourth Year MSIH Elective Months Taken At CU By Type and Site

Year # of Students

Avg # per student

# 4th Yr Electives Taken Outside of

BGU

# Taken at CUMC

% of total taken

# taken at CUMC Affiliate

% of total taken @ Affiliate

2011 - 2012

393 3.6 1426 384 26.9% 491 34.4%

2012 42 3.6 151 54 36% 64 42% 2011 35 3.7 128 28 22% 57 45% 2010 42 4.1 174 27 16% 51 29% 2009 49 4.2 208 74 36% 62 30% 2008 37 3.8 141 27 19% 43 30% 2007 25 3.9 98 28 29% 30 31% 2006 27 3.7 101 31 31% 34 34% 2005 17 3.8 64 17 27% 19 30% 2004 40 3.8 150 30 20% 47 31% 2003 28 3.2 90 26 29% 38 42% 2002 27 3.2 87 29 33% 33 38% 2001 24 1.4 34 16 47% 13 38%

Elective Months Taken Through CU By Type and Site

22 | P a g e

2. Content

ED-11

The curriculum of a medical school must include current concepts in the basic and clinical

sciences, including therapy and technology, changes in the understanding of disease, and the

effects of social needs and demands on care.

Students are given a broad exposure to the scientific basis of modern medicine with courses

in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Genetics and Microbiology,

with a particular emphasis on how advances in these disciplines influence the clinical

practice of medicine. The complex interaction between the genetic, biochemical and

environment on the clinical presentation of disease is emphasized. Students are exposed to

new technologies such as endoscopy of the gastroenterology system and catheterization in

the cardiovascular system which continues in the clinical clerkships. In all courses the impact

of social needs on the particular system being studied is noted with a particular emphasis on

the global implications of disease. In addition, short, 12-hour mandatory modules

concerning current global developments and medical issues are provided to students of 1st

and 2nd years. Examples of these modules are attached. (Appendix 8)

ED-12

The curriculum of a medical school must include behavioral and socioeconomic subjects in

addition to basic science and clinical disciplines.

As part of their education in cross-cultural and global medicine, in first year students

participate in the “Clinical Day”. This course rotates the students between Pediatrics, Adult

Medicine, and Senior Citizens, as well as exposing them to medical confrontation scenarios:

1st

Year Clinical Day Course

Pediatrics

Well child care School Hospital Kibbutz Hatzerim Mobile Bedouin Unit

Adult Medicine

Women’s Medicine Family Medicine (Tel Sheva) Black Hebrews (Dimona) Emergency Room

Senior citizens

A Senior Citizen’s Group Kibbutz Urim Geriatric Ward Ganei Omer

Communications Skills

Confrontation: Down’s Syndrome

Confrontation: Diarrhea

Confrontation: Asthma

23 | P a g e

In addition to the above, MSIH offers a 2-3 day Cross-Cultural Workshop in the 3rd year of

study, with the use of programmed actors and actresses as well as supervised interviews of

the students. In four of the six major clinical clerkships, we offer a one day workshop, which

helps to integrate Global Medicine concepts into the daily clinical experiences.

ED-13

The curriculum of a medical school must include content from the biomedical sciences that

supports students' mastery of the contemporary scientific knowledge, concepts, and methods

fundamental to acquiring and applying science to the health of individuals and populations and

to the contemporary practice of medicine.

It is expected that the curriculum will be guided by clinically-relevant biomedical content from,

among others, the disciplines that have been traditionally titled anatomy, biochemistry, genetics,

immunology, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, and public health sciences.

See ED-5-6

ED-14

The curriculum of a medical school should include laboratory or other practical opportunities

for the direct application of the scientific method, accurate observation of biomedical

phenomena, and critical analysis of data.

Opportunities in the curriculum could include hands-on or simulated (e.g., computer-based)

exercises in which medical students either collect or use data to test and/or verify hypotheses or to

address questions about biomedical principles and/or phenomena. The medical school should be

able to identify the location in the curriculum where such exercises occur, the specific intent of the

exercises, and how the exercises contribute to the objectives of the course and the ability to collect,

analyze, and interpret data.

The following are laboratories attended by students in 1st year:

Lab Time (hours)

Virology 2x8 Basic Bacteriology 6x8 Basic Pathology 16 Histology 18 Epidemiology 5 Clinical and global medicine; interviewing patients 36 Emergency Medicine Course 1st year 36 Emergency Medicine Course 3rd year 18

In addition, during 1st and 2nd years, there are two hours of histology and a minimum of two

hours of pathology in all body system courses. In addition, there are five anatomy courses

with half of each day taking place in the laboratory.

ED-15

The curriculum of a medical school must cover all organ systems, and include the important

aspects of preventive, acute, chronic, continuing, rehabilitative, and end-of-life care.

See ED-5-6 for list of 2nd year courses.

24 | P a g e

End-of-life care is covered in Family Medicine, selective in Palliative Care and Geriatrics and

through a new curricular offering in Oncology. (Appendix 9)

ED-16

The medical school curriculum shall include clinical experience in a broad cross-section of

areas, including, but not limited to, primary care. All clinical experiences shall be designed and

implemented in such a manner as to ensure that students perform appropriate and progressive

clinical responsibilities, and, regardless of the setting in which they are undertaken, shall be

supervised by individuals appointed to the faculty of the medical school. Curriculum of a

medical school must include clinical experience in primary care.

We strictly adhere to the above practice. BGU is known in Israel as the Faculty most

dedicated to teaching and promulgating a Primary Care approach and this emphasis is

reflected in Faculty members' approach to teaching throughout the four years

See Appendix 10 for the Family Medicine Syllabus.

Ed-17

The curriculum of a medical school must include content and clinical experiences related to

each phase of the human life cycle that will prepare students to recognize wellness, determinants

of health, and opportunities for health promotion; recognize and interpret signs and symptoms

of disease; develop differential diagnoses and treatment plans; and assist patients in addressing

health-related issues involving all organ systems.

It is expected that the curriculum will be guided by the contemporary content from

and the clinical experiences associated with, among others, the disciplines and

related subspecialties that have traditionally been titled family medicine, internal

medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, preventive medicine, psychiatry,

and surgery.

MSIH conducts clinical clerkships in all the above.

ED-18

A medical school should provide medical students with opportunities to pursue clinical

experiences in both inpatient and outpatient settings. All clinical experiences, regardless of the

setting in which they are undertaken, should be supervised by individuals appointed to the

faculty of the medical school. The clinical experiences should provide the student with

appropriate progressive responsibility.

All clinical experiences are supervised by faculty appointed by the Medical School and

clinical experiences take place in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Students gain

progressive responsibility throughout each clerkship with the goal of being able to

independently assess and evaluate patients.

25 | P a g e

ED-19

Educational opportunities must be available in a medical school in multidisciplinary content

areas (e.g., emergency medicine, geriatrics) and in the disciplines that support general medical

practice (e.g., diagnostic imaging, clinical pathology).

See ED-5-6 for a list of Clinical Selectives offered to 4th year students.

ED-20

The Medical School curriculum shall include didactic and clinical instruction necessary for

students to become competent practitioners of contemporary medicine, including

communication skills as they relate to physician responsibilities.

There is an extensive curriculum in Communications Skills starting in the first year where

students learn the basics of patient-centered interviewing to the use of lectures, videos,

observation, role playing and discussion and guided readings. The students’ competence is

assessed by OSCE exams. In the 2nd semester of 1st year, students move from the classroom

to the clinical setting to start interviewing patients in a wide variety of settings including

school-based health care, family practice settings, nursing homes, rural villages and

inpatient settings. During 2nd year, students practice these skills weekly in small groups on

hospitalized patients. These skills are cemented during the 3rd year clinical clerkships where

a focus is placed on patient interviewing as well as during the Cross-Cultural Workshops that

take place during various clerkships as well as a stand-alone activity in 3rd year involving

programmed patients.

ED-21

The curriculum of a medical school must prepare medical students for their role in addressing

the medical consequences of common societal problems (e.g., provide instruction in the

identification, diagnosis, prevention, appropriate reporting, and treatment of domestic violence

and abuse).

These issues are integrated throughout the curriculum as well as in many of the modules

which are taken in years 1&2. See Appendix 8 for a list of modules.

ED-22

The faculty and medical students of a medical school must demonstrate an understanding of the

manner in which people of diverse cultures and belief systems perceive health and illness and

respond to various symptoms, diseases, and treatments.

Instruction in the medical school should stress the need for medical students to be concerned with

the total medical needs of their patients and the effects that social and cultural circumstances have

on patients’ health. To demonstrate compliance with this standard, the medical school should be

able to document objectives relating to the development of skills in cultural competence, indicate

the location in the curriculum where medical students are exposed to such material, and

demonstrate the extent to which the objectives are being achieved.

26 | P a g e

A unique quality of the Medical School for International Health is the strong emphasis on

the training of students in cross-cultural and global environments. Throughout all years of

study, these aspects of medical education are emphasized in different ways. Examples can

be found in the Clinical Day, Cross-Cultural Workshop and Intro/Anthro courses referred to

above. This emphasis is neither a track nor an elective but this theme informs our school

curriculum from the moment the student arrives until the day of graduation. See Appendix

11 for the syllabi.

ED-23

Medical students in a medical school must learn to recognize and appropriately address gender

and cultural biases in themselves, in others, and in the process of health care delivery.

The objectives for instruction in the medical school should include medical student

understanding of demographic influences on health care quality and effectiveness

(e.g., racial and ethnic disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases). The

objectives should also address the need for self-awareness among medical students

regarding any personal biases in their approach to health care delivery.

See Appendix 8 for a list of modules – some of which cover these subjects. As well, these

issues are addressed during extensive teaching in cross-cultural and global medicine.

ED-24

The medical school shall provide instruction in medical ethics and human values, including, but

not limited to, ethical principles in caring for patients and in relating to patients' families and to

others involved in patient care.

From the beginning of medical school, instruction in medical ethics is an important part of

the students’ medical education. During the summer course - which begins medical school -

students learn the basics of medical ethics, focusing of the four cardinal principles of

modern medical ethics, which include Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence and Justice.

Due to our emphasis on global health and medicine, Justice and the fair distribution of finite

healthcare resources is an important element of our curriculum. Upon entering the School,

1st year students write their own specific class ethical code and this is read at their

Physician’s Oath Ceremony which takes place just after the commencement of 1st year.

Student involvement in ethics is expressed through the student-run ethics advisory

committee which works with the administration to ensure scrupulous ethical practice at the

Medical School. During the “Clinical Day” Course in 1st year, these issues are discussed in the

context of learning patient interviewing skills and formal lectures, and discussions in patient

confidentiality and ethical clinical care are administered. During the 1st three years of

school, occasional ethics case conferences occur focusing on real-life clinical ethical

problems. During clinical clerkships, formal case-based discussions on ethical issues occur.

In addition, several visiting scholars attend the Medical School for International Health

during each year to impart their knowledge of Medical Ethics and Human Values. Examples

during 2012 alone are Drs. Lantos and Montello (University of Kansas), Dr. Michael Gordon,

(University of Toronto), Dr. Howard Bergman, (McGill University), Dr. Ora Paltiel, (Hadassah-

Hebrew University), Dr. Adi Haramati, (Georgetown University), Dr. Steven Scharf

(University of Maryland).

27 | P a g e

C. Teaching & Evaluation

ED-25

Faculty: The medical school shall have a sufficient number of appropriately qualified faculty

members to meet the needs and missions of the program. The school shall provide for each

faculty member regularly scheduled assessments of his or her academic performance. All

faculty members shall be provided with opportunities to develop their skills as medical

educators.

All Course Coordinators receive a copy of the clerkship objectives and clear guidance from

the Course Director about their roles and assessing medical students. Faculty development

workshops in teaching and assessment occur periodically lead by faculty of the Center for

Medical Education of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

At the completion of each course, in the 1st and 2nd year of study, as well as after each

clerkship, a formal and extensive course debriefing is performed in which a comprehensive

survey is sent to each student for completion, assessing the course or clerkship, and

individual instructors. At the completion of each course, student representatives meet with

the Course Director under the supervision of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to

review the survey results which are circulated to and discussed by senior faculty.

Appendix 12 is an example of a Course Evaluation questionnaire, and summary of

responses.

ED-26

Assessment of student performance: The medical school shall have a system in place for the

effective assessment of medical student performance throughout the program. The system of

student assessment shall employ a variety of measures of knowledge, skills, behaviors, and

attitudes.

The Assessment Unit of the Faculty of Health Sciences, with a dedicated MSIH unit with two

full-time administrative staff, under the supervision of the Associate Dean for Academic

Affairs is responsible for student assessment. This assessment includes examinations, either

locally generated or NMBE shelf or computer examinations, OSCE exams or clinical

evaluations after each course. Assessment includes not only knowledge but skills, behaviors

and attitude needed to be an ethical, competent and caring physician.

ED-27

A medical school must include ongoing assessment activities that ensure that medical students

have acquired and can demonstrate on direct observation the core clinical skills, behaviors, and

attitudes that have been specified in the program's educational objectives.

OSCE examinations and evaluations during the Core Clinical Clerkships are undertaken to

determine if the student has achieved the necessary clinical skills, behaviors and attitudes.

OSCE exams are performed either using simulated patients or high frequency simulations

28 | P a g e

and are under the auspices of the Simulation Unit of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the

Standardized Patient Unit. All exams are assessed for reproducibility and validity.

ED-28

A medical school must include ongoing assessment of medical students’ problem solving, clinical

reasoning, decision making, and communication skills.

OSCE exams and clinical evaluation and shelf exams are the primary mode of assessing

students’ problem-solving, clinical reasoning, decision making and communications skills.

ED-29

The faculty of each discipline should set standards of achievement in that discipline and

contribute to the setting of such standards in interdisciplinary and inter-professional learning

experiences, as appropriate. The standards of achievement identified within any discipline must

be consistent across all sites in which that discipline is taught.

MSIH is taught by members of the overall Faculty of Health Sciences which is one of the five

medical faculties in the country. The standards of teaching and supervision are carefully

assessed by the overall Faculty and periodically accredited by the Council for Higher

Education in Israel as noted above.

ED-30

The directors of all courses and clerkships in a medical school must design and implement a

system of fair and timely formative and summative assessment of medical student achievement

in each course and clerkship/clerkship rotation.

Faculty of the medical school directly responsible for the assessment of medical student

performance should understand the uses and limitations of various test formats, the

purposes and benefits of criterion-referenced vs. norm-referenced grading, reliability and

validity issues, formative vs. summative assessment, and other factors associated with

effective educational assessment.

In addition, the chief academic officer, curriculum leaders, and faculty of the medical

school should understand, or have access to individuals who are knowledgeable about,

methods for measuring medical student performance. The medical school should provide

opportunities for faculty members to develop their skills in such methods.

An important element of the medical school’s system of assessment should be to ensure the

timeliness with which medical students are informed about their final performance in courses and

clerkships/clerkship rotations. In general, final grades should be available within four to six weeks

of the end of a course or clerkship/clerkship rotation.

The Exam Unit of MSIH, under the direction of the Associate Director of Academic Affairs is

responsible for the evaluation and assessment of medical students. In the pre-clinical

courses assessment is accomplished by the use of locally generated questions, NMBE shelf

exams or the NMBE computerized testing system. Using the latter system the Course

Director sits with a member of the Exam Unit to generate an appropriate exam from the

NMBE question bank for that particular course. All exams are tested for reliability and

validity. Faculty have the opportunity to participate in faculty development courses which

cover assessment or specific seminars related to these issues. In clinical rotations,

29 | P a g e

assessment is accomplished by departmental evaluations, shelf examinations, and OSCEs.

The Examination Unit has a dedicated faculty member who completed a Fellowship in

Medical Education focusing on the use of simulated patients for assessment to consult on

these matters. Students are informed of their grades within 4-6 weeks of the completion of

the course.

All students having any academic difficulty (e.g. failed course and even "close pass") are

individually interviewed by Dr. Asher Moser, the Assoc. Director of Student Affairs in order

to provide academic counseling and follow up.

ED-31

Each medical student in a medical school should be assessed and provided with formal feedback

early enough during each required course or clerkship to allow sufficient time for remediation.

Although a course or clerkship/clerkship rotation that is short in duration (e.g., less than four

weeks) may not have sufficient time to provide a structured formative assessment, it should provide

alternate means (e.g., self-testing, teacher consultation) that will allow medical students to measure

their progress in learning.

During the course of all of the longer clerkships, students receive a mid-clerkship evaluation

from their tutor and during the course of the clerkship receive immediate feedback on

patient admissions and presentations. Students deemed to be having difficulties are

discussed individually first with the Associate Director for Student Affairs and if necessary in

the Student Promotion Committee, consisting of all course coordinators and chaired by the

Associate Director for Academic Affairs and the Associate Director for Student Affairs.

See Appendix 13 – Sample assessment of the committee resulting in a student having to

repeat year two.

ED-32

A narrative description of medical student performance in a medical school, including non-

cognitive achievement, should be included as a component of the assessment in each required

course and clerkship whenever teacher-student interaction permits this form of assessment.

In each clinical course a narrative assessment of students’ performance is obtained focusing

on the assessment of their knowledge, skills, and attitudes relating to the course. In

addition, assessments are also required of every student performing a 4th year elective.

These evaluations are reviewed by the Associate Director for Academic Affairs and if a

problem is detected, it is referred to the Promotion Committee.

30 | P a g e

D. Curriculum Management

1. Roles and Responsibilities

ED-33

The medical school shall demonstrate that there is integrated institutional responsibility for the

overall design, management, and evaluation of a coherent and coordinated curriculum. The

medical school faculty shall design, monitor, and periodically review and revise the objectives,

content, and pedagogy of each segment of a medical school’s curriculum, as well as of the

curriculum as a whole.

The overall responsibility for the curriculum of Medical School for International Health is

held by the Associate Director for Academic Affairs. The curriculum is approved by both the

Council for Higher Education in Israel (CHE) and the Faculty Curriculum Committee. All new

courses must be approved by the Faculty Curriculum Committee. Prior to presenting the

curricular change to the Faculty Curriculum Committee it is reviewed by the MSIH

Curriculum Committee which consists of the Associate Director for Academic Affairs, the

Dean of Students, the Year Coordinators and an education consultant for the basic sciences.

Each year coordinator is responsible for the curriculum of that particular year. The

curriculum is evaluated through intensive student debriefing at the completion of each

course, analysis of exam results and USMLE scores comparing with national norms of

accomplishment. Syllabi and course content are reviewed and updated using the Bologna

Process for curriculum development. Annually there is a faculty-wide retreat focusing on

one of the basic science years with an emphasis of monitoring the content and workload of

each course.

ED-34

Under the guidance of a central authority, the faculty of a medical school must be responsible

for the detailed design and implementation of the components of the curriculum.

Faculty members’ responsibilities for the medical school include, at a minimum, the development

of specific course or clerkship objectives, selection of pedagogical and assessment methods

appropriate for the achievement of those objectives, ongoing review and updating of content, and

evaluation of course, clerkship/clerkship rotation, and teacher quality.

Prior to the approval of a course, designated Course Directors must develop a specific

syllabus detailing the course or clerkship’s objectives, selection of pedagogical and

assessment methods, responsible teaching faculty and the method of the evaluation of the

course. This process is supervised by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The course is

then submitted for approval to the Faculty Curriculum Committee.

31 | P a g e

ED-35

The objectives, content, and pedagogy of each segment of a medical school’s curriculum, as well

as of the curriculum as a whole, must be designed by and subject to periodic review and revision

by the program’s faculty.

During annual retreats, the objectives and content of each year's curriculum is reviewed by

School faculty and updated as necessary.

ED-36

Within the authority of the governing entity, the medical school shall collect and use a variety of

outcome data, including accepted norms of accomplishment, to demonstrate the extent to which

its educational objectives are being met, and shall engage in an ongoing systematic process to

assess student achievement, program effectiveness, and opportunities for improvement.

The Curriculum Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences is responsible for monitoring

the curriculum including the content of each discipline and the overall educational

objectives of the program. Standards are monitored by the Year Coordinators and for

successful advancement to the following year of study, students must pass all the year’s

courses. The curriculum is built around a spiral with each year reinforcing learning of

previous years. Coordination between Course Directors is overseen by the Associate

Director for Academic Affairs who monitors the curriculum to ensure there are no

redundancies. During 4th year, students take four electives approved by the Elective

Coordinator and four selectives in the Surgical and Medical sub-specialties to ensure general

medical competence. This is overseen by the 4th year coordinator.

ED-37

The committee responsible for the curriculum at a medical school, along with the program’s

administration and leadership, must develop and implement policies regarding the amount of

time medical students spend in required activities, including the total number of hours medical

students are required to spend in clinical and educational activities during clinical clerkships.

The educational content of each clerkship is approved by the Curriculum Committee of the

Faculty of Health Sciences. The Associate Director for Academic Affairs - in consultation with

the Clerkship Coordinators – develops and implements policies regarding the required time

to be spent in clinical and educational activities. At a minimum, students are expected to be

present in the clinical wards from 8am - 4pm, Sunday through Thursday (the regular work

week in Israel), with added time deemed necessary by the individual tutor. In addition,

during many clerkships students are expected to remain on call.

ED-38

The chief academic officer of the medical school shall be responsible for the conduct and quality

of the educational program and for ensuring the adequacy of resources, including faculty, at all

instructional sites, and shall be given explicit authority to facilitate change in the medical

32 | P a g e

program and to otherwise carry out his or her responsibilities for management and evaluation

of the curriculum.

The Ben-Gurion University Director of MSIH in collaboration with the Columbia Director are

responsible for the conduct and quality of the School’s programs and for ensuring their

adequacy of resources, including faculty at each teaching site. The Ben-Gurion University

Director has continuous and easy access to both the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences,

Dr. Gaby Schreiber, as well as and the University President Dr. Rivka Carmi (herself a

distinguished academic physician and Israel's first woman Dean of Medicine and first female

university president). Subject to approval of relevant committees, the Ben-Gurion University

Director has authority to make necessary changes to the School’s programs and to manage

and evaluate the curriculum and budget.

ED-39

The principal academic officers at each instructional site of a medical school must be

administratively responsible to the program’s chief academic officer.

Confirmed; at Soroka Hospital, in Beer Sheva and with all the Department Heads and at

Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon with the Academic Coordinator. All the above are Senior

Faculty of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University.

ED-40

The faculty in each discipline at all instructional sites of a medical school must be functionally

integrated by appropriate administrative mechanisms.

The medical school should be able to demonstrate the means by which faculty at each instructional

site participate in and are held accountable for medical student education that is consistent with the

objectives and performance expectations established by the course or clerkship leadership.

Mechanisms to achieve functional integration may include regular meetings or electronic

communication, periodic visits to all instructional sites by the course or clerkship rotation

leadership, and sharing of student assessment data, course or clerkship/clerkship rotation

evaluation data, and other types of feedback regarding faculty performance of their educational

responsibilities.

The Faculty at all instructional sites of the Medical School are functionally integrated by a

number of mechanisms. At the conclusion of each clerkship, faculty at all clinical sites meet

with the Clerkship Coordinator and Student Representatives to review the educational

experience at each site. Each Site Director receives a detailed evaluation and student survey

directed toward the education received at the site. (See Appendix 12) These evaluations are

reviewed by the Clerkship Coordinator, Year Coordinator and Associate Director. Site visits

are made periodically by the Director, Associate Director or Year Coordinator.

33 | P a g e

ED-41

A medical school must have a single standard for the promotion and graduation of medical

students across all instructional sites.

Confirmed. The Medical School for International Health strictly follows all of the regulations

of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. (See IS-3)

ED-42

A medical school must assume ultimate responsibility for the selection and assignment of all

medical students to all instructional sites or educational tracks. There must be a process

whereby a medical student with an appropriate rationale can request an alternative assignment

when circumstances allow for it.

A medical school having multiple instructional sites or distinct educational tracks is responsible for

determining the specific instructional site or track for each medical student. That responsibility

should not preclude medical students from obtaining alternative assignments if appropriate reasons

are given (e.g., demonstrable economic or personal hardship) and if the educational activities and

resources involved allow for such reassignment. It is understood, however, that movement among

campuses may not be possible (e.g., because the instructional sites may offer different curricular

tracks).

The Medical School for International Health assumes ultimate responsibility for the

selection and has overall and absolute control over the assignment of all students to all

instructional sites or educational tracks. During the 3rd year of study, students rotate

through various clinical departments in one of the hospitals affiliated with the University.

There are seven blocks of clinical clerkships. During the 4th year of study, students

participate in 16 weeks of clinical electives in any approved academic medical institution

around the world, followed by a two-month Global Medicine Clerkship in Israel, the U.S., or

a developing country. This is followed by eight weeks of selectives in Israel, in a surgical

and/or medical subspecialty. All electives must be approved by the Electives Coordinator

and all clerkships must be authorized by the School. Students with special requests are dealt

with flexibility and understanding.

ED-43

In a medical school, medical students assigned to each instructional site should have the same

rights and receive the same support services.

Confirmed.

34 | P a g e

E. Evaluation of Program Effectiveness

ED-44

A medical school must collect and use a variety of outcome data, including accepted norms of accomplishment, to demonstrate the extent to which its

educational objectives are being met.

The medical school should collect outcome data on medical student performance, both during program enrollment and after program completion,

appropriate to document the achievement of the program’s educational objectives. The kinds of outcome data that could serve this purpose include

performance on national licensure examinations, performance in courses and clerkships and other internal measures related to educational program

objectives, academic progress and program completion rates, acceptance into residency programs, and assessments by graduates and residency directors

of graduates' preparation in areas related to medical school objectives, including the professional behavior of its graduates.

Confirmed. See above for Academic Assessment Policies (both for pre-clinical and clinical years, USMLE Scores, Match Rates, and Residency

Placements and Appendix 3). Below please see listing of the various activities of our alumni in the fields of Global and International Health.

MSIH Alumni known to have engaged in the following GH-Related Activities Year of Graduation

Current Position

Specifically Involves to

GH

1 or More GH

Activities

MPH or other

relevant post

grad GH degree

Global Health

Elective in Residency Fellow-ship

Helped develop GH student/residency

training and ed prgms in US or

abroad

Volunteer or paid work in

a developing

country

Worked with IGO,

NGO, or Govt'

agency

Paid or Volunteer work

in humanitarian emergencies, or Int'l relief

Post-grad work in GH, with

Immigrants or w/medically

under-Served Communities in

US or abroad

GH research Projects

Teach GH or developing

GH educational

curricula

All Years 12% 68% 17% 17% 10% 13% 7% 5% 31% 31% 31%

2002-2006 Grads

81% 29% 45% 13% 18% 12% 8% 51% 25% 11%

2002-2009 Grads

68% 23% 38% 14% 18% 10% 8% 45% 22% 10%

2007-2011 Grads

35% 15% 20% 10% 11% 7% 3% 23% 13% 4%

35 | P a g e

In addition to the many MSIH alumni who work with diverse and medically under-served

communities in North America, examples of MSIH Alumni whose positions are specifically

oriented to global health include the following:

Lucy Bucci, MD (2002) , MPH Clinical Assistant Professor and Hilo Site Director Hawaii Island Family

Center, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health John A. Burns School of Medicine

(JABSOM) University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Craig Blinderman, MD (2002), MA. Since 4/10, Chief of Adult Palliative Medicine Division,

Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Medical Center. Former Co-Director, Cancer

Pain Clinic, Palliative Care Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA and Instructor,

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Developing HIV prevention and palliative care curriculum in

Vietnam.

Ryan Carroll, MD (2002), MPH, Attending physician, department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care

Medicine, Mass General Hospital for Children, Instructor, Harvard Medical School and Co-

investigator on joint malaria research team in Mbarara, Uganda.

Eric Haas, MD (2002), Pediatrician, Ministry of Health, Southern District, Israel

Daniel Leffler, MD (2002), MS, Harvard Medical School. Fellow, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical

Center, Boston, MA . Director of clinical research and founding member of the Celiac Center at Beth

Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (July

'08)

Manisha Patel, MD (2002), Medical Officer, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Elizabeth Pooler Brown, MD (2002), MPH, Assistant Professor University of Rochester Department

of Family Medicine University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, and Director of the new

Global Health Pathway at the University of Rochester SMD.

Takaaki Wada, MD (2003), Hendrick Medical Center, attending physician, Infectious Diseases,

Associate professor, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, Abilene

Campus.

LaShawn Worsely McIver, MD (2004), MPH, Director, Public Policy and Strategic Alliances, America

Diabetes Association, as of 5/17/11. ADA, 1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA and

former fellow with the Center for Policy Analysis Research of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Jeffrey Ankeney, MD (2005) Primary Care manager, Warrior Transition Unit, US Army.

Ronald Orie Browne, MD (2005), PhD. Co-founder of Surgeons for Global Health.

Maryam Hadiasher, MD (2005), Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Medical Officer, OB/GYN, Phoenix,

AZ.

Brian Neese, MD (2005), MPH, Maj USAF, US Air Force International Health Specialist for Latin

America, stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ and working in Brazil.

Ruchi Puri, MD (2005), Global Health Fellow, Duke University Medical Center, works in Tanzania,

Kenya, and Rwanda as an OB-Gyn and fistula surgeon. She provides a combination of clinical,

research, and education in the areas of emergency obstetric care and fistula. Done through Duke

University, AMREF, KCMC Hospital in Moshi, TZ and the National University of Rwanda.

36 | P a g e

Joseph Sakran, MD (2005), MPH, Assistant Professor of Surgery & Director of Global Health and

Disaster Preparedness for the Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina.

Henry Welch, MD (2005), member of Baylor International Pediatrics AIDs Initiative as a member of

the Global Health Physicians Corps assigned with the Global Health Corps in Gondar, Ethiopia

beginning January 2013.

Shelli Bein, MD (2006), member of Baylor International Pediatric AIDs Initiative Global Health

Physicians Corps assigned with the Global Health Corps to Mwanza, Tanzania from July, 2012.

Jeremy Fowler, MD (2006), family practitioner working with an NGO in Jordanian Hospital and clinic

serving the Bedouin community.

Leslie White, MD (2009), Working in Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative as a member of

the Global Health Physicians Corps. Since July 2012 she has served with the Global Health Corps in

Cabinda, Angola.

Peggy Ross, MD (2010), Intern in the Emergency Medicine Department of the Namibian government

hospital in Windhoek, Namibia.

Ori Benhamou, MD (2012), General practitioner at the Family Medical Practice in Ho Chi Minh,

Vietnam, where he serves a diverse population of local patients and expatriates in tropical and urban

medicine.

Ryan Davis, MD (2010), MPH, Fulbright public health grant recipient. Conducted HIV research in

Botswana at the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership last year and presently conducting HIV

research at Harvard University.

Shannon Langston, MD (2010), Completed a 2011 fellowship in International Emergency Medicine in

Guyana, South America through Vanderbilt University. Dr. Langston is now Senior Resident in

Emergency Medicine at Wayne State University/DMC Sinai Grace Medical Center in Detroit, MI and

on assignment doing international emergency medicine in Akobo, South Sudan.

Shaanan Myerstein, MD (2010), Has accepted a position starting in 2013 with Baylor Pediatric AIDs

Initiative in Gabarone, Botswana as a member of the Global Health Physicians Corps.

Jonah Mink, MD (2012), Founder and Director, Migrant Health, Israel.

37 | P a g e

ED-45

The planning processes must incorporate formative and summative reviews of student

achievement.

Strategic planning is essential to ensure the quality of the medical school. An assessment program

should be an ongoing, systematic process that provides the means for assessing student

achievement, program effectiveness, and opportunities for improvement.

This is achieved through management meetings (see above) and frequent discussions

between program Directors and the Deans of Health Sciences at both Universities (BGU and

CU).

ED-46

In evaluating program quality, a medical school must consider medical student evaluations of

their courses, clerkships and teachers, as well as a variety of other measures.

It is expected that the medical school will have a formal process to collect and use

information from medical students on the quality of courses and clerkships/clerkship

rotations. The process could include such measures as questionnaires (written or online),

other structured data collection tools, focus groups, peer review, and external evaluation.

This aspect of the School has been addressed above: ED-25.

Please See Appendix 12.

38 | P a g e

III. Medical Students

A. Selection

MS-1 & 3

Admission: The medical school shall develop criteria, policies, and procedures for the selection

of medical students that are readily available to potential and current applicants and their

collegiate advisors. Such criteria, policies, and procedures shall be developed to select students

who possess the intelligence, integrity, and personal and emotional characteristics necessary for

them to become effective physicians.

The Admissions process is run at our NY office at CU involving both professional and

administrative staff. As noted in our brochures and website application materials, MSIH

seeks outstanding students with the academic preparation, maturity, and commitment to

master a rigorous M.D. curriculum and to benefit from the demands and opportunities

associated with graduate study within the diverse cultural environment of Israel. Admission

is open to exceptional individuals of all nationalities who wish to prepare themselves for

careers as an M.D. in global health, community medicine, preventive and population-based

medicine.

All applicants must have completed a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited

institution. Students from countries where the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is

offered must submit MCAT scores obtained within the preceding four years. Applicants with

graduate degrees and residents of countries where the MCAT is not offered may submit

equivalent alternatives as approved by the school. Selection is based on the applicant’s

overall potential for successful completion of the program as indicated by undergraduate

Grade Point Average (GPA), MCAT scores, extra-curricular experience, recommendations,

and interview assessments.

Individuals with degrees from universities where the language of instruction is not English

must submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) taken within one

year of the application date. Applicants who wish to transfer from other medical schools are

reviewed individually and may be required to take additional course work before being

admitted to the School. MSIH only accepts appropriate transfer students no later than into

the 2nd year.

Students who have completed a Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) or other fields are

encouraged to apply. Applications are also accepted from students who have completed a

39 | P a g e

bachelor’s degree in a non-science major if they have completed the necessary pre-

requisites for the study of medicine. These include:

• One year of physics

• One year of biology

• Two years of chemistry (one of which must have been organic chemistry with

lectures and laboratory)

Other optional recommendations include genetics and developmental biology. Students

who lack the required premedical courses may consider applying to a post-baccalaureate

pre-medical program.

Overview of Entering Class Demographics 1998 to 2012

Year Male Female Age Foreign Non-US Citizens Non Bio Major Grad Degree

1998 58% 42% 25 56% 25% + 2 US dual nationals 30% 28%

1999 39% 61% 26 32% 18% + 1 US dual national 42% 18%

2000 49% 51% 25 26% 23% + 4 US dual nationals 20% 48%

2001 37% 63% 24 33% 17% + 4 US dual nationals 17% 17%

2002 38% 62% NA 24% 24% + 1 US Dual National 42% 33%

2003 38% 62% 25 28% 17.3% + 1 US dual national 24% 10%

2004 27% 73% 24 19% 8% + 4 US dual nationals 31% 23%

2005 40% 60% 25 24% 16% + 4 US dual nationals 38% 6%

2006 51% 49% 26 31% 18% + 9 US dual nationals 23% 39%

2007 40% 60% 26 17% 15% + 5 US dual nationals 36% 23%

2008 33% 67% 25 45% 25% + 5 US dual/tri nationals 39% 24%

2009 55% 45% 25 23% 15% + 1 US dual national 45% 24%

2010 49% 51% 25 22% 13% + 4 US dual nationals 40% 24%

2011 30% 70% 26 33% 25% + 3 US dual nationals 38% 38%

2012 52% 48% 25 16% 10% + 3 US dual nationals 29% 16%

MSIH Entering Classes MCAT & GPA 1998 - 2012

Year Mean MCAT Range Mean GPA Range Mean Science

GPA

Range

1998 26 12 - 37 3.44 2.73 – 3.97 3.34 2.44 – 4.0

1999 27 19 - 34 3.41 2.65 – 3.9 3.27 2.44 – 4.0

2000 26 15 - 40 3.55 3.05 – 4.0 3.45 3.35 – 4.0

2001 27 17 - 33 3.42 2.79 – 3.88 3.34 2.61 – 3.85

2002 28 23 - 35 3.44 2.27 – 3.97 3.3 2.01 – 3.98

2003 27.3 21 - 37 3.36 2.73 – 3.91 3.23 2.2 – 3.93

2004 28 24-35 3.48 2.95 -3.87 3.36 2.6 – 3.88

2005 28.2 21 - 39 3.47 2.69 – 4.0 3.37 2.4 – 4.0

2006 28.6 21 - 35 3.53 3.04 – 3.92 3.54 2.8 – 3.96

2007 28.9 23 - 35 3.49 2.64 – 3.96 3.41 2.12 – 4.0

2008 29.8 23 - 37 3.53 3.1 – 3.96 3.44 2.7 – 4.0

2009 29 23 - 36 3.51 2.89 – 4.0 3.45 2.66 – 4.0

2010 29 24 - 35 3.45 2.75 – 3.89 3.35 2.48 – 3.89

2011 28 23 - 34 3.46 3.14 – 3.87 3.36 2.86 -3.77

2012 30 24 - 36 3.52 2.83 – 3.9 3.36 2.79 – 4.0

40 | P a g e

MS-2

To ensure an institution that offers a medical school meets its missions and goals, the institution

must tie its admissions process to the outcome performance of its graduates.

Although MSIH is still a young School we recently organized an active Alumni Society which

helps with student mentoring, elective and residency placements as well as with

recruitment. In addition, our alumni come back to teach in Beersheva and meet with our

students to counsel them on relevant matters. We also seek their advice as to how we can

make the School a better institution and welcome feedback from them as to how we could

have improved their education. Dr. Brian Neese, an alumnus and Family Doctor in the US

Army, is the elected head of this Society and it has an active Executive.

See MS-1&3

MS-4

At least every other year, the medical school shall publish, either in print or online, information

on policies and procedures on academic standards, grading, attendance, tuition and fees, refund

policy, student promotion, retention, graduation, academic freedom, students’ rights and

responsibilities including a grievance policy and appeal procedures, the school’s criteria for

selecting students for admission, the application and admission processes, and other information

pertinent to the student body.

See IS-3 - Bylaws, Student Handbook and web site.

MS-5

A medical school must ensure that any medical student visiting for clinical clerkship rotations

and electives demonstrates qualifications comparable to those of the medical students he or she

would join in those experiences.

Confirmed. See above.

41 | P a g e

B. Medical Student Services

1. Academic and Career Counseling

MS-6

Student support services: The medical school shall have an effective system of academic

advising and personal and career counseling for medical students that integrates the efforts of

faculty members, course directors, and student affairs officers with its counseling and tutorial

services.

See section ED-30 above and Appendix 14.

Each student meets with senior faculty (Drs. Jotkowitz and Glick) individually to plan

electives and match strategies .As well, class meetings are held periodically as well as

appropriate material circulated to help students at each stage to prepare for what awaits

the in the following year (e.g. USMLE, Global Medicine electives abroad, CU and other North

American electives, preparation of the MSPE, the Match, etc.)

In addition, given that we are a relatively small school, there is easy and ongoing access to

the two co-directors in Beersheva and NY, the four Associate Directors, as well as senior

faculty via email, telephone and quick access to meetings.

MS-7

If a medical student at a medical school is permitted to take electives at another medical school

or institution, there should be a centralized system in the dean's office at the home program to

review the proposed extramural electives prior to approval and to ensure the return of a

performance assessment by the host program.

Only electives in institutions with which we have good academic connections are approved,

and only after a review of the description of the program and the responsible teacher, who

will be responsible for filling out an evaluation of the student. In order for the student to get

credit for the elective MSIH must receive an evaluation of the student's performance in the

elective. Our partnership with Columbia University enables our students to take more than

⅔ of their overseas U.S. electives at Columbia University affiliated institutions.

42 | P a g e

2. Health Services and Personal Counseling

MS-8

A medical school must have an effective system of personal counseling for its medical students

that includes programs to promote the well-being of medical students and facilitate their

adjustment to the physical and emotional demands of medical education.

MSIH has a clinical psychologist (Dr. Yitzhak Lander) on call (24/7) who meets with students

and provides counseling and/or refers on for psychiatric care if necessary. The School pays

for this and it is free for our students. As well, BGU has extensive network of student

services which our students have easy access to.

For its part, Ben-Gurion University, with 20,000 students, has an entire unit dedicated to

student welfare including psychological services. This unit works under the auspices of the

Dean of Students. In addition, MSIH employs its own psychologist (a native English-speaker

who understands cultural/psychological issues that might affect foreign students in Israel.

The psychologist is available at all times to students free of charge.

MS-9

A medical school should follow accepted guidelines in determining the health status and

immunization requirements for its medical students in accordance with New York State and

CDC guidelines.

These guidelines are followed closely. (See Appendix 15). In addition, NY State and CDC

health status and immunization requirements are implemented annually for 3rd year MSIH

students via the HIPAA Compliance Office at Columbia University. The CU-MSIH office

provides the HIPAA office with a list of 3rd year students, and the CU office sends the

students a link to the HIPAA course by email. Students have 30 days to complete the course.

Once online training is completed, students receive an emailed Certificate of Completion.

43 | P a g e

C. The Learning Environment

MS-10

A medical school must ensure that its learning environment promotes the development of

explicit and appropriate professional attributes in its medical students (i.e., attitudes, behaviors,

and identity).

The medical school, including its faculty, staff, medical students, residents, and affiliated

instructional sites, shares responsibility for creating an appropriate learning environment. The

learning environment includes both formal learning activities and the attitudes, values, and

informal "lessons" conveyed by individuals who interact with the medical student. These mutual

obligations should be reflected in agreements (e.g., affiliation agreements) at the institutional

and/or departmental levels. It is expected that a medical school will define the professional

attributes it wishes its medical students to develop in the context of the program's mission and the

community in which it operates. Such attributes should also be promulgated to the faculty and staff

of the medical school. As part of their formal training, medical students should learn the

importance of demonstrating the attributes of a professional and understand the balance of

privileges and obligations that the public and the profession expect of a physician. Examples of

professional attributes are available from such resources as the American Board of Internal

Medicine’s Project Professionalism or the AAMC’s Medical School Objectives Project. The

medical school and its faculty, staff, medical students, and residents should also regularly evaluate

the learning environment to identify positive and negative influences on the maintenance of

professional standards and conduct and develop appropriate strategies to enhance the positive and

mitigate the negative influences. The program should have suitable mechanisms available to

identify and promptly correct recurring violations of professional standards.

See ED-24 and example of annual Students’ Honor Code (Appendix 16) and Affiliation

Agreements (Appendix 17)

MS-11-12

The medical school shall establish, and make available to all sectors of the school

community, policies regarding the standards of conduct for the faculty-student

relationship, the standards and procedures for the assessment, advancement, and

graduation of its medical students, and the standards and procedures for disciplinary

action.

See IS-3 - Bylaws, Student Handbook and web site.

MS-13

A medical school must have a fair and formal process in place for taking any action that may

affect the status of a medical student.

The medical school’s process should include timely notice of the impending action,

disclosure of the evidence on which the action would be based, an opportunity for the

medical student to respond, and an opportunity to appeal any adverse decision related to

promotion, graduation, deceleration, or dismissal.

See IS-3 and Section 6 of Appendix 5.

44 | P a g e

MS-14-15

Medical student educational records shall be confidential and shall be maintained in a manner

that will ensure confidentiality as well as the accuracy of such records. Such records shall only

be made available to those members of the faculty and administration and other administrative

bodies or committees with a need to know, unless released by the medical student or as

otherwise governed by laws concerning confidentiality. A medical student enrolled in the

medical school shall be allowed to review the content and challenge information contained in his

or her records if he or she considers the information contained therein to be inaccurate,

misleading, or inappropriate.

Student records are maintained in a secure Ben-Gurion University site and access to paper

files and computer servers and are available only to authorized personnel. This applies to

both internal BGU data as well as those received from external agencies like ECFMG, NBME,

NRMP.

To minimize fraud, academic transcripts are printed on special paper bearing the BGU seal

as a watermark. Students are entitled to review both a draft of the factual contents of their

Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) and their Academic Transcripts. The final

MSPE (containing Dean’s evaluations) is sent directly by MSIH to relevant parties. Students

are able to review portions of the MSPE, such as their pre-medical school biography and

their first, second and third year evaluations. They have the right to review this information

and suggest changes and/or make comments. Students are not privy to viewing the final

recommendation.

45 | P a g e

IV. Faculty

FA-1

A medical school must have a sufficient number of faculty members in the subjects basic to

medicine and in the clinical disciplines to meet the needs and missions of the program.

In determining the number of faculty needed for the medical school, the program should consider

the other responsibilities that its faculty may have in other academic programs and in patient care

activities required to conduct meaningful clinical teaching across the continuum of medical

education.

During the course of a single year, MSIH employs some 450 personnel, clinical, academic,

and administrative in all of the relevant disciplines to fulfill the School’s educational goals.

For course coordinators alone, see section ED-5-6.

FA-2

A member of the faculty in a medical school must have the capability and continued

commitment to be an effective teacher.

Effective teaching requires knowledge of the discipline and an understanding of curricular

design and development, curricular evaluation, and methods of instruction. Faculty

members involved in teaching, course planning, and curricular evaluation should possess

or have ready access to expertise in teaching methods, curricular development, program

evaluation, and medical student assessment. Such expertise may be supplied by an office of

medical education or by faculty and staff members with backgrounds in educational

science.

Faculty involved in the development and implementation of a course, clerkship (or, in

Canada, clerkship rotation), or larger curricular unit should be able to design the learning

activities and corresponding student assessment and program evaluation methods in a

manner consistent with sound educational principles and the institution’s stated

educational objectives.

A community physician appointed to the faculty of a medical school, on a part-time basis or

as a volunteer, should be an effective teacher, serve as a role model for medical students,

and provide insight into contemporary methods of providing patient care.

Integral to the Medical School is the Faculty of Health Science’s Moshe Pryes Centre for

Medical Education which provides educational consultation to faculty members. Examples

of the center’s activities are a three-day retreat for new faculty members focusing on the

basics of medical education, a year-long course in medical education, and special seminars

throughout the year on topics of interest in medical education which have included case-

based learning, writing multiple choice questions, narrative medicine and reflective writing.

Visiting scholars from Israel and abroad regularly visit the Center.

There is a standardized syllabus based on the Bologna process which is now being used in all

courses faculty-wide. Community physicians are appointed to the Faculty Medical School

and serve as teachers and role models to students.

46 | P a g e

FA-3

A faculty member of a medical school should receive regularly scheduled feedback on his or her

academic performance and progress toward promotion and, when applicable, tenure.

Feedback should be provided by departmental leadership programmatic leadership, or

institutional leadership.

Faculty member feedback is provided by the Departmental Chairman and the Associate

Director based upon varied criteria including both student evaluation and extensive surveys

(Appendix 12). The FOHS runs an extensive personalized system of Faculty evaluations

which is used for, among other things, promotion purposes. Faculty with problematic

evaluations can receive individualized coaching under the direction of the Center for

Medical Education. Student and Senior Staff evaluations of Faculty are used extensively in

the promotion process at the University.

FA-4

All faculty of a medical school should be provided with opportunities to develop their skills as

undergraduate medical educators. Educator skills development must be provided by the

medical school at all sites in which students participate in the clinical programs of a medical

school.

See FA-3 above.

47 | P a g e

V. Educational Resources

ER-1-2-3

Resources. The medical school shall have sufficient resources, including, but not limited to,

buildings, equipment, and didactic and clinical instructional resources, to achieve its

educational and other goals.

The Medical School for International Health, part of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the

20,000-student, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, has a senior academic staff, both in

Beer Sheva and New York, an administrative staff of 12, a suite of 15 offices on the top floor

of the purpose-built Caroline House, dedicated student study areas with wireless internet,

access to all of Ben-Gurion University’s classrooms, laboratories, computer rooms, medical

simulation programs and dummies, as well as all public facilities in its four campuses and

130 buildings. In addition, the School has access to the facilities and staff of the Soroka

University Medical Center, the largest hospital in the Negev Region of Israel, serving a

population of one million people. The hospital has 1,200 general beds, 46 day care beds, 12

dialysis beds, 139 newborn beds. It has 19 operating rooms, 65 emergency rooms and 25

labor rooms. It is part of Israel’s “General Health Fund” with operates 14 hospitals, 1,300

primary care clinics, dental clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, imaging and specialist centers

and a medical research subsidiary. The Fund has over four million insured members 9,000

physicians, 9,500 nurses, 1,300 pharmacists and others. Students also do clerkships at the

530-bed (shortly 600) Barzilai Hospital (Government- owned), in the nearby town of

Ashkelon. All teachers at both sites are on the Faculty at Ben-Gurion University.

ER-4

Required clerkships at a medical school should be conducted in health care settings in which

resident physicians in accredited programs of graduate medical education, under faculty

guidance, participate in teaching the medical students.

It is understood that, at some medical schools, there may not be resident physicians at some

community hospitals or community clinics or the offices of community-based physicians. In

those cases, medical students must be directly supervised by attending physicians.

All clerkships are conducted at Soroka University Medical Center or another affiliated

hospital (Appendix 17) under University faculty guidance. Teaching is performed by senior

attending physicians at the Hospital who oversee student activities and coordinate their

learning experience almost all of whom are on Faculty at Ben-Gurion University and in a

small number of cases on the Faculty at one of Israel’s four other medical schools, (mainly in

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem).

48 | P a g e

ER-5

The medical school shall provide clinical clerkships in accordance with affiliation agreements

that define the responsibilities of each party related to the educational program for medical

students and section 60.2(d) of this part. Such clerkships shall be conducted at health care

settings in which there is appropriate oversight and supervision. The educational program for

medical students shall remain under the control of the school’s faculty at each instructional site,

and such faculty shall monitor medical student experiences and modify them as necessary to

ensure that the objectives of the medical school are met. The medical school shall inform the

Department of the clinical facilities with which it has affiliation agreements and of anticipated

changes in its affiliation agreements or the affiliation status the clinical facilities.

MSIH/BGU has Affiliation Agreements with all relevant clinical sites - please see Appendix

17.

ER-7

An institution that provides a medical school must provide ready access to a well maintained

resource center sufficient to support its educational and other missions.

Students, faculty, and others associated with an institution that provides a medical school should

have physical or electronic access to the current and prior volumes of leading biomedical, clinical,

and other relevant periodicals, self-instructional materials, and any other information resources

required to support the institution’s missions, including the educational program.

The School is served by Ben-Gurion University’s main Zalman Aranne Central Library,

established in 1965, with over one million volumes and thousands of journals, (online and

paper). Students also use the University’s special Medical Library which is situated in Soroka

University Medical Center grounds. In addition to study space, the Medical Library includes

books, periodicals and digital media, offering access to online clinical and research materials

across all medical fields. All major medical periodicals are easily accessible through the

library’s subscriptions.