Israeli dean warns wary of continued strike

 

Zionist Professor Pablo Yagupsky, dean of Ben Gurion University’s Health Faculty, warned Sunday that the ongoing senior academic staff strike is likely to hurt not only medical students, but the entire health system.

 

Students who do not learn the necessary material will not be able to graduate, he said, adding, “We cannot give them any breaks.” 

 

If medical students do not complete the necessary coursework, Yagupsky said, they will not be able to begin their clinical studies, and if they cannot begin their clinical studies, they will not become doctors. There is already a shortage of specialists in certain medical fields, and more shortages are expected as doctors retire, leaving a shortage that will hurt the entire health system, he said. 

 

It would be very difficult for medical students to complete missed material, teachers agreed, and as there are few spots available for clinical work, it would be difficult for those who are forced to postpone their clinical work to find a spot.