The Council on Higher Education has approved the establishment of a six-year physician training program at Ariel University, upon completion of which graduates will receive a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.
The program plans to admit 80 students annually. The first students are expected to start classes this year.
Ariel University already has a four-year medical training program for students with a first academic degree. The new program will allow students to enroll in training after school.
Over the past five years, the number of students starting medical studies in Israel each year has risen from about 800 to 1,446, according to the Council for Higher Education.