After four years immersed in medical training abroad, Technion’s American Medical Program graduates are moving on to the next chapter—residency at their hospital of choice.
Technion students were accepted to the most competitive residencies in the US including Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Mayo Clinic and the University of Pittsburgh.
Among the 20 graduates of the class of 2016, 90 percent will be pursuing residencies in the US or Israel. Since the first graduating class in 2010, there have been 163 graduates of the program of which 85 percent have been accepted to top residencies in the US or Canada and 7 percent have chosen to do residencies in Israel.
This high match rate reflects the success of Technion’s American Medical Program. They have mastered their trade and created an internationally acclaimed medical program with unparalleled opportunities for students to shadow and work with Nobel Laureate–winning doctors in their field of choice, be involved in cutting-edge research and receive personalized attention with class sizes of 20 to 30 students.
Research and Clinical Work
The unique structure of research and clinical work is what draws many students to the Technion program. Allen Pimienta, from Toronto, matched at Mayo Clinic in Family Medicine. Pimienta chose the program because of the strong research aspect. While studying at Technion, he published papers in four different journals and is the first author on two. “I can’t get this research opportunity anywhere else,” Pimienta said. “Not only do renowned researchers teach our classes, but they also give us their cell phone information and say, ‘Please contact us with any questions.’”
Rostic Gorbatov, from Boston, matched at Jacobi Medical Center in Bronx, NY in Internal Medicine. He also chose Technion because of the strong science and research focus. While there, he researched the association of how Vitamin D affects cardiovascular disease in diabetes. “I spent three years doing research at Harvard,” Gorbatov explained, “but at Technion I did more hands-on research than I ever have.”
Committed to encouraging study beyond the classroom, Technion’s American Medical Program has partnerships for students to shadow doctors at a range of urban and rural hospitals in Northern Israel. Technion also has affiliations with over 20 medical centers in the US and Canada. During the clinical years, students can carry out their elective clinical rotations in these centers, giving match candidates a leg up in their application process by allowing hospitals to put a face to a name.
Rachel Singer, from Calgary, matched at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Pediatrics. While working at the hospital in Israel, she saw a 3-year old boy admitted to the emergency room half paralyzed. “They originally thought he had a stroke and then discovered he had a different diagnosis. I got to watch him gain back his movement,” Singer said. “Watching his body heal itself was deeply moving and emphasized why I love peds.”
Alex Peyser, from Great Neck, NY, studied engineering at Columbia University and matched at Northshore LIJ in obstetrics and gynecology. “The clinical part at Technion was amazing,” Peyser said. “When I was in Israel we got our hands wet; they let me do everything.”
Supportive Environment
Although students came for the rigorous academic reputation of Technion, they received much more. “What I didn’t expect was the support, community feel and parent-esque feel of the administration,” Gorbatov said.
Solomon also appreciated how invested the administration is in the students. “The administration is so open to ideas for improving the program,” he said. “When you have the support of the administration, you feel like you have a voice in the program—and that’s special.”
Sybil Sailofsky, a third-year student from Montreal, summed it up best. “We have a wealth of information and a wealth of family.”
The choice to study internationally came as a no-brainer to many students. “I wanted to have a non-traditional experience to study medicine,” Solomon said. “I feel so lucky to be part of a community where 90 percent of the people are coming from abroad to follow their dreams and study what they are passionate about.”
Singer wanted a change. “Moving to a new country, and not knowing what I was getting into, has been an amazing opportunity to find my own way,” she said. “I wanted it to be special and Israel fit the profile.” The beachfront location in Haifa adds to the appeal.
For future students considering Technion’s American Medical Program, “Just do it,” Solomon said. “It’s a great place to study medicine and it will be an experience of a lifetime.”
By Raizel Druxman
