Israel Medical Association Warns of Tripling in Physician Emigration Abroad
A conference by the Israel Medical Association revealed that physician emigration from Clalit more than tripled since 2023. Experts warned that security, political, and economic factors are driving top medical talent abroad.
Surge in Physician Emigration
The number of physicians leaving the Clalit health services for abroad has more than tripled, rising from an annual average of nine until 2019 to 33 per year since 2023. This trend was presented on Monday at the Israel Medical Association conference held at Kfar Maccabiah by Gali Cohen, head of planning at Clalit.
In community medicine, departures surged sixfold from an average of three to 18 doctors per year, while hospital departures rose from six to 15 annually. Cohen noted that the numbers are growing steadily and the trend is sharply upward. Ophthalmology and pediatrics lead the departures in community care, whereas child psychiatry, ophthalmology, radiology, and rehabilitation stand out in hospitals.
Survey Findings and Global Competition
A 2024 survey presented at the event showed that 50 hospital doctors left that year, with 14 coming from Ichilov and Rabin Medical Center combined. Furthermore, 53 physicians who traveled abroad for fellowships extended their stay, mostly originating from Sheba and Ichilov. Participants noted that security, political, and economic factors drive the decisions, alongside a global shortage ranging between two million and six million doctors.
"The people who go abroad are the cream of the crop of the healthcare system," warned Dr. Eitan Levon, director of Hasharon Hospital, pointing to heavy workloads, lack of research infrastructure, and operating rooms.
Solutions and Impact on Critical Fields
Experts emphasized the urgent need to encourage physicians to return. Dr. Zeev Feldman, chairman of the State Physicians Association, stressed that a shortage of positions must not prevent doctors from coming back, calling for comprehensive return packages.
The brain drain has already hit vital medical sectors hard. Prof. Ido Wolf, head of the Tel Aviv University medical school, revealed that five to ten oncologists have emigrated without returning, representing an irreplaceable loss for local medicine. Meanwhile, representatives of younger physicians pointed to poor wages, grueling shifts, and growing burnout as compounding factors driving talent away.
