MSIH

Requirements and Procedures

Requirements

MSIH Students All applicants must complete a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited institution. Students from countries where the MCAT is offered must submit MCAT scores obtained within the preceding four years. Applicants with graduate degrees and residents of countries where the MCAT is not offered may submit equivalent alternatives as approved by the school. Selection is based on the applicant’s overall potential for successful completion of the degree as indicated by undergraduate GPA, MCAT scores, extra-curricular experience, recommendations, and interview assessments. Individuals with degrees from universities where the language of instruction is not English must submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) taken within one year of the application date. The school does not offer advanced standing. Applicants who wish to transfer from other medical schools will be reviewed individually and may be required to take additional course work before being admitted to the school. Transfer students are usually considered for the second-year. Under exceptional circumstances students may be accepted into the third-year.

Students who have completed a Masters degree in public health (M.P.H.) are encouraged to apply. Applications are also accepted from students who have completed a bachelor's degree in a non-science major if they have completed the necessary pre-requisites for the study of medicine. These include:

One year of physics
One year of biology
Two years of chemistry (one of which must have been organic chemistry with lectures and laboratory)

Other optional recommendations include genetics and developmental biology. Students who lack the required pre-medical courses may consider applying to Columbia University's Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program.

The Medical School for International Health seeks outstanding students with the academic preparation, maturity, and commitment to master a rigorous medical school curriculum and to benefit from the demands and opportunities associated with graduate study within the diverse cultural environment of Israel.

Admission is open to exceptional individuals of all nationalities who wish to prepare themselves for careers in international health and population-based medicine. Travel to Israel and the ability to remain for the full 4 years of study is only possible for students with passports from countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel.  For a list of countries that currently have diplomatic relations, please contact the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Students who are accepted to the Medical School for International Health must submit passport information and personal data in order to receive appropriate documentation to obtain a student visa, which is granted by the Israeli Ministry of the Interior, and required for the duration of study in Israel. Israeli nationals may apply to the Joyce and Irving Goldman Medical School at BGU and follow the regulations of the Israeli Council for Higher Education.

It is each student's responsibility to ensure they possess a valid passport and visa for the duration of the four years of study in Israel. The Medical School for International Health does not grant deferments to students who are unable to obtain the necessary documents to enter or study in Israel, nor can it reverse decisions taken by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



ProceduresMSIH students
Application may be made through the Admissions Office, 630 W. 168th Street, PH 15E - 1512, New York, New York 10032. Applications can be requested by email to bgcu-md@columbia.edu, by fax at 212-305-3079, or by phone at 212-305-9587. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis beginning June 1st for admission to the following year’s class. An application fee of $85 US must accompany all applications.

Applicants seeking to transfer from other medical schools must submit a completed application, MCAT scores, recommendations, and transcripts of all medical school coursework completed to date. Transfer applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are not automatically admitted to the second year class. Transfer students may be required to complete courses in international health and medicine or repeat courses in order to fulfill the school’s specific requirements.

Applicants will be notified upon receipt of the completed application, fee, letters of evaluation, and test scores. If notification of a completed application is not received within sixty days of the preliminary processing, applicants should contact the Admissions Office in New York. The Committee will only evaluate completed applications; i.e. those that include the application, fee, recommendation letters, MCAT and TOEFL scores (or alternative equivalents), and transcripts.

Consistent with our policy with respect to student privacy, the Admissions Office does not release admissions information to anyone other than the applicant, unless the student has consented to release this information to pre-health advisors on his/her application. Students may contact the Admissions Office by phone or email for information on the status of their applications. We cannot respond to inquiries by family members and friends. To maintain student privacy, the Admissions Office does not include social security numbers provided on student applications in our computer data-bases.

The Admissions Committee invites applicants it is seriously considering for acceptance for a series of personal interviews. Applicants are interviewed at the Columbia University Medical Center campus in New York. The Admissions Committee may also arrange interviews in Israel at Ben-Gurion University for applicants who are traveling to Israel or reside abroad.

Applicants are notified of admissions decisions throughout the year. Admission may not be deferred for ANY reason. Students who are unable to join the entering class to which they have been admitted may re-apply the following year and will be evaluated with that year’s applicant pool. Applicants who are not accepted may re-apply for admission ONLY ONCE.

Accepted applicants have four weeks after being accepted to secure their place in the class. To do so, they must send a non-refundable deposit of $200 US by check or international wire transfer to confirm their intention to enroll.

All students must carry full comprehensive health insurance and personal accident insurance in terms specified by Ben-Gurion University while they are enrolled in the Medical School for International Health. Before enrolling in the Medical School for International Health, students are required to present proof of enrollment in a health insurance policy that includes hospitalization, health and accident coverage, coverage of one’s pre-existing conditions, if any, and repatriation.

It is not the responsibility of the MSIH, nor is it the responsibility of Ben-Gurion University or Columbia University, to provide health insurance policy coverage, funding for health expenses, or to secure health insurance coverage for students who are unable to secure health insurance due to pre-existing conditions or who are dropped by their insurance carriers after enrollment.

Proof of health insurance coverage must be received at least ten days prior to departure to Israel and students will not be permitted to attend class until they have presented proof of health insurance coverage. The following must be received no later than ten days prior to departure to Israel and will be considered proof of health insurance coverage: a valid insurance card from an existing policy that shows the student’s name, policy number, dates of coverage, and carrier name, or a completed enrollment form for the University-designated carrier and a check for the policy premium dated ten days prior to departure for Israel.



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