Context
Projections indicate a shortage of physicians in Israel in the coming years. The density of physicians in Israel in 2022 was 371 per 100 000 population, lower than in most EU countries (Waitzberg, 2025). Around 47% of physicians were aged 55 years or more in 2021, and will reach retirement age soon. In addition, the ongoing armed conflict since 2023 continues to strain the system, disrupting medical education and increasing demand for healthcare (MoH, 2025).
Israel’s healthcare system has over-relied on foreign-trained doctors. In 2024, only 28% of newly licensed physicians were trained in Israel. There have been concerns about the quality of medical education abroad and from 2026, physicians trained in select countries will no longer be allowed to practice in Israel. This is expected to substantially reduce the influx of physicians into the system.
In 2023, the MoH appointed a committee to plan and reform the medical workforce. The committee published its recommendations to expand the cadre of physicians in 2024. The recommendations have been sequentially implemented from September 2024.
Impetus for the reform
The reform was driven by several converging factors:
- A growing dependence on foreign-trained doctors, especially from institutions that will not be recognized from 2026.
- Geographic disparities in physician distribution, with underserved regions relying heavily on lower-quality medical personnel.
- The war’s impact on medical training and service delivery.
- Recommendations from two national committees (2021–2022) calling for a significant expansion of domestic medical education.
Main purpose of the reform
The reform seeks to:
- Increase the number of physicians trained in Israel.
- Improve the quality and regulation of medical education.
- Reduce reliance on physicians that have attended unrecognized foreign medical schools, and attract more immigrant physicians from recognized institutions.
- Strengthen healthcare provision in underserved regions.
Content and characteristics
The reform includes several key components:
- Establishing three new medical schools, following decisions of the Council for Higher Education, set to open in February 2025, October 2025 and an unconfirmed future data.
- A national initiative to recruit immigrant physicians through regulatory easing, bridging courses, personal support, and employer incentives.
- Research grants and fellowships for medical residents working and living in underserved regions.
- Training physicians as future health managers in underserved regions. Providing courses on management and leadership with a focus on local epidemiology and medical needs, engagement with local communities and other health stakeholders (for example, health plans).
- In planning: subsidized loans and incentives for Israeli students studying at approved foreign medical schools, including partial loan forgiveness for returning to Israel and working in high-need areas such as geriatrics. Total loan forgiveness for physicians that work and live in underserved regions.
Impact
The number of new medical licenses issued in 2024 stood at 2 637, a 7% increase from 2023 and 48% from 2020. The full impact of the reforms is expected to materialize from 2026 onward, particularly in reducing reliance on unrecognized foreign institutions and improving geographic distribution of physicians.