The Reporter: June 1997, Vol.8, No.3
Ben Gurion, Columbia Offer Program in International Health

Photo by Charles Manley

At the signing of the agreement between P&S and Ben Gurion University are, from left, Dr. Richard Deckelbaum, program director and director of Columbia's Institute of Human Nutrition; Dr. Herbert Pardes, vice president and dean; Dr. Rivka Carmi; vice dean for student affairs and professor of genetics at Ben Gurion; Dr. Joan Leiman, Columbia Health Sciences executive deputy vice president; Pamela Cooper, program coordinator; and Dr. Lechaim Naggan, vice president for research and development at Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

P&S and Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel, have signed a formal letter of intent to establish a four-year medical degree program at Ben Gurion specializing in international health and medicine. The program will offer students from the United States and elsewhere an American style curriculum in Israel that is adapted to include courses in cross-cultural, community, and preventive medicine. Students will study at Ben Gurion and receive their M.D. degrees from that institution. Columbia is actively involved in a number of aspects of the program, such as student selection and curriculum development.

Ben Gurion is an established leader in health-related projects with neighboring Arab countries and populations, and with Africa, Asia, and South America. The school also possesses outstanding faculties in family and community medicine, public health, agriculture, water management, and economics--all of which could contribute to the planned curriculum.

Dr. Richard Deckelbaum, director of Columbia's Institute of Human Nutrition, is the driving force behind the collaboration with Ben Gurion. In fact, the new program grew out of his own international experience in research and preventive medicine programs, and as a practicing physician. "M.D.s are trained to treat individuals rather than how to approach a population with an understanding of its needs in terms of prevention and economy of care," he says. "With that in mind, this program will not only teach M.D.s how to treat individuals but will provide the seeds to students on how to know what's needed in specific populations and how to achieve the best results."

Students who have completed undergraduate degrees and the necessary premedical courses may apply for entrance into the program. The first class will be enrolled in September 1998.

The program is yet another opportunity for Columbia to exchange students and faculty with an overseas university. It will also lead to expanded research collaborations in the international community.