On October 10, 2023, I was supposed to fly to Israel to explore the country for the first time in my life. Like thousands of others, my flight was canceled in the wake of the October 7 attacks, and I never made that trip.
However, as a US-trained and certified physician assistant (PA), I ended up coming to Israel several times during the following two years as a medical volunteer, helping wounded soldiers and filling other gaps in the healthcare system amid the war and a shortage of doctors. Each time, I found it harder to leave Israel, as it came to feel like home.
This summer, I finally made aliyah. With Israel recently recognizing American PA licenses, I have also been able to transfer my career here and have begun the process of integrating into the medical system. It has become clear that healthcare professionals like PAs and nurse practitioners (NPs) can fill vital gaps in a system that is suffering from a doctor shortage.
A population boom translates to a need for more medical staff
For decades, Israeli medical schools have not been large enough to produce enough graduates to meet the needs of the country’s growing population. Meanwhile, thousands of doctors, including many from the former Soviet Union, which provided large waves of immigration to Israel in the 1990s, are set to retire soon.
In addition, regulations that will no longer recognize medical training from certain countries, with the aim of improving the quality of care in Israel, are set to kick in soon, further reducing the potential number of doctors.
Immigration of doctors and programs to smooth the transfer of their medical licenses so they can begin practicing upon arriving in Israel have indeed contributed to solving this challenge.
Since 2024, more than 1,300 doctors have immigrated through the International Medical Aliyah Program, led by Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with Israel’s ministries of Aliyah and Integration, Health, and the Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience, and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Hundreds more doctors are set to arrive this year, putting the program ahead of its goal to facilitate the immigration of 2,000 doctors by 2029.
The recent changes in Israel that recognize most North American licenses for PAs and NPs are another significant step toward improving the healthcare system.
The United States, which offers some of the world’s best medical care, has long relied on PAs and NPs to expand patient care, especially in rural and underserved areas that tend to have fewer physicians.
Importing practicing professionals
Certified PAs and NPs can examine patients, diagnose illnesses, and prescribe medication. Both work in general medicine as well as in specialties, and in all types of healthcare settings, from emergency rooms to operating suites to clinics. Clear regulatory guidelines define the scope of their work and when they must consult their supervising physician.
Most doctors who work alongside PAs and NPs report that they positively impact their practice. In fact, when I lived in rural Nevada, my primary care provider was an NP.
In my former career as an emergency medical technician, where I worked closely with rural hospitals, I saw firsthand how NPs and PAs were essential in caring for incoming patients.
I hope to make a similar contribution by filling such gaps here in Israel, using my training and skills to improve patient access to healthcare.
In my position at an urgent care center, I treat everything from lacerations and broken bones to coughs and chest pain, working as a team with nurses and doctors to ensure nothing is missed and patients are managed effectively and efficiently.
Because I see patients from many different backgrounds, beliefs, and races, English has also been helpful in many situations. I recently treated young adults in Israel on a group trip who were very nervous about seeking medical care here; I saw how calming it was for them to have someone who spoke English fluently and could explain exactly what they needed.
At the same time, a specialized medical Hebrew ulpan helps professionals like me integrate further into the system. With Hebrew skills and our native languages, immigrant medical professionals can serve more patients, including fellow immigrants who can feel more at ease receiving care in a shared native language.
As more PAs and NPs begin working in Israel, more patients will have access to faster, higher-quality care. Currently, PAs and NPs in Israel work mainly in hospital and urgent care settings, but they could also make significant contributions across different specialties, as they do in the US. This would shorten wait times and expand care options.
I look forward to helping improve and transform Israel’s healthcare system.
The writer is a physician assistant and a new immigrant to Israel from Nevada.