Assaf Peleg on medical licensing for doctors trained abroad

A hospital’s willingness to employ a doctor trained abroad does not, by itself, authorise clinical work in Israel. When a licensing application is delayed or refused, the first step is to identify its status, any decision already made and the outstanding requirements.

The Health Ministry’s general medicine licensing guidance sets out different routes for graduates of Israeli and overseas medical schools. It also states that documents submitted contrary to its instructions will not be reviewed. For overseas graduates, relevant checks include the medical school and study programme, when the studies began, and the applicant’s training.

An application awaiting verification of training records raises a different issue from a refusal to recognise the applicant’s studies. If the authority’s position has been communicated only informally, seek written clarification of the application’s status and the reasons for any refusal.

A medical diploma, confirmation of clinical training and a foreign licence to practise establish different aspects of a physician’s professional record. If the authority considers a programme ineligible for recognition, sending another copy of the diploma may not resolve the problem. The response should address the specific requirement and the reasons given.

A useful submission connects each disputed point to supporting records. This may involve identifying a training period, explaining discrepancies in dates or asking which requirement remains unmet.

If a university or former employer cannot provide a document in the requested form, explain the difficulty and ask what evidence may be accepted. Do not assume an alternative document will suffice.

For doctors seeking legal assistance with medical licensing in Israel, review of the application, documents and correspondence can help determine whether to complete the record, clarify the criteria or seek review of an adverse decision. Any applicable procedure and deadline should be identified promptly.

For doctors who qualified as specialists abroad, an Israeli medical licence and recognition of their specialist qualification are separate approvals.

The Israeli Medical Association’s guidance on recognition of specialty certification explains the Scientific Council’s role in assessing overseas training. The Council makes recommendations to the Health Ministry, which is responsible for approving and issuing the Israeli specialist certificate.

A preliminary assessment of specialist qualifications may take place before the Israeli medical licence is obtained. Before agreeing on a role and starting date, the physician and employer should confirm which approvals remain outstanding and what clinical work is permitted under any existing Israeli licence or permit.

Assaf Peleg is an Israeli attorney based in Kiryat Ono whose practice includes medical licensing and recognition of foreign professional qualifications.

This article provides general information; the requirements applicable to an individual case must be checked.

This article was written in cooperation with Assaf Peleg