Dunno what to say,an older post said some guy interviewed real late and got in. Im still waiting to hear, interviewed March 31st... Perhaps today will be judgement day.

The Sackler wait list really does depend on wether or not applicants get into other schools. In my year I think that 2 people got into other schools at the last minute. You can never know.

Hey -
for those of you that have chosen sackler...
why?
was it a last resort?
Did you chose it over a u.s. D.O. program? Would you? why?
Strong points of sackler education?
weak points?

If i'm lookin' at EM, gen surg, etc. Should i consider Sackler or stick with a U.S. D.O. school (i'm waitlisted at u.s. MD programs)
thanks!

About the residency options- it depends mainly on WHERE you want to practice. People go to sackler for different reasons. For me it was my only option, but I really love Israel. Other people I know preferred Sackler to the schools that they could have gotten into. Some thought it would be cheaper, some liked the adventure, some didn't want to spend a year on waiting for acceptance to other schools, and some just didn't get into any place else....
Sackler has some weak points too of course but it is late and I want to go to sleep.
Good luck

Can you elaborate on the WEAK POINTS.

I personally don't know much about the school, since I will only be going there this coming fall but I think some of the weak points are common among any foreign school as opposed to an american school. People coming from those schools may not get those great residencies like psychiatry, ophthalmology and other tough ones to get. But the person that interviewed me was a sackler graduate and it now working in nyc as a psychiatrist. My reason for going to sackler was that I really like Israel and I didn't want to wait another year of applying, retaking mcats etc. I hope I have made the right choice. I know if I try hard while in school, I can get into pretty much whatever residency program I aim for. Hope this helped a little bit

Weak point a) First 2 years (I am still in the second year) are very tough and discouraging.
However, the second 2 years are very rewarding. The clinical setting that Sackler offers is very good, I am beginning to experience it now (during the second half of second year students go once a week for the entire day to a hospital). As a matter of fact, by talking to the people from a year above me, the same people that complained last year, are very happy today in their clinical setting.
Again- this is from my perspective....a students perspective

I some times wonder if I am the only med student writing this forum....

you ARE the only med student replying! But this is what your peers are saying: (i'm cutting and pasting from pm correspondence)

I'm a big fan of options, so am pleased to have a brain
dump in your direction regarding my feelings about Sackler.
No worries at soliciting advice either, we're currently in the
middle of finals for our second trimester now [I'm a first
year] so am psyched at having a somewhat useful and/or
productive way to procrastinate.

So I know very little about DO schools because I didn't
apply, but was deciding between Sackler and some MD
programs in the states.

I'm overall really pleased with my choice here, and today
would be a day that I should be more on the negative side of
things as we're in the middle of finals and am pretty sure I
had my *** handed to me today in a histology lab practical
exam. Sackler gives you the standard american MD
curriculum. Most students do relatively well on the boards,
and thus are pretty competitive for certain residency
placements. So if you want a derm residency at Harvard or
a neurosurgery residency at Yale you probably won't get it
coming from Sackler-- but you for sure aren't even eligible to
apply with a DO degree. Sackler hands down gives you
many many more residency options than a DO degree,
simply bc it is an MD. That being said, the residency
placements this year ranged from Harvard [internal
medicine] to Orthopedic Surgery to Pediatrics [Einstein] to
Rehabilitative Medicine [at Hopkins]....most students go into
internal medicine, family medicine, peds --in addition to
some going into surgery, emergency, obgyn specialties
thrown in there.

I guess first you need to decide if you want a MD or a DO.
If you do in fact want the MD, then I can imagine no better
place than getting it than here. Yes, there are issues with
getting a MD [even if it is an american program] abroad, but
especially on the east coast and amongst certain residency
programs and hospitals on the west coast and midwest,
Sackler is well known and respected. When you return to
the states I think there is of course some stigma on some
level for getting your MD abroad, but at the end of the day
you still a) will have an MD and b) be working in a residency
program in the states that accepted you. I guess it also
matters how much you care about what others think...


From what I hear from the 3rd and 4th years, Sackler's
clinical exposure is really why you'd want to come here. You
do rotations with actual attending doctors --not first year
residents who barely know as much as you. And, apparently
you just get the opportunity to do much more. As a first year
we have optional early clinical exposure sessions, so
though i've obviously not done anything I've got to scrub into
heart surgery and stand next to the attending surgeon as he
explained a quadruple bypass he was performing. Hanging
out over open heart surgery was pretty cool. I'm a dork, I'll
admit that, but it was super cool. Apparently also according
to sackler grads, they are just that much more prepared for
the hands on clinical stuff when they reach residency in
america.

As for the first two years, there are strengths and
weaknesses. Some of the professors have thick Israeli
accents and are horrible lectures and it is a complete waste
of time to sit in class, but then again I had the same
experience at grad school in new york and I know friends in
med schools throughout the states who also say the same
things about their profs. In general, when I talk with my
friends in american MD programs [ at Mt. Sinai, Columbia,
Univ South Carolina, UVM, Albany,etc] it seems that we're
more or less learning the same things. I really believe in the
cliche that any experience is what you make it. . .
living in Tel Aviv is great. I enjoy living abroad and Tel
Aviv is a great city. Most first and second year students live
in Ramat Aviv [north TA where the university is located], but
I live in actual tel aviv, because I prefer the city. Language
becomes a huge issue for some people and others not at
all. There are students who graduate from Sackler who can
hardly muster a shalom and there are students who are
israeli citizens and hebrew is their first language. Sackler
offers an ulpan and encourages you to learn some hebrew
so as to get more out of the clinical experience-- though it is
by far a requirement.

The student body relative to american md programs in
america, I think is filled with not only more interesting
people, but people who are not necessarily those super cut-
throat pre med ubber competitive types. Yes, the other
students are smart and want to do well, but if someone has
an old exam or a good study guide they made-- generally it
is shared with the whole class.

Also:

. I know it is a very tough decision as I
had to do it myself not too long ago. I will certainly
do what I can to answer your questions. First off,
you first need to decide if you would be happy with
a D.O. after you name instead of MD. Most
people wont notice or care, as I didnt know my
primary physician was a DO. For me, I wanted the
MD, especially after I heard about the spinal
manipulation thing, which didnt appeal to me.

After that, dont let Israel scare you as a foreign
medical school. Although, indeed it is, it is far
above and beyond your caribean school or
equivalent. It actually has a very good reputation
across the world, but still holds a stigma back
home at being a foreign medical school. From
students before me and people I spoke to, you
have no problems in NY or LA at all, but I cant
speak for anywhere else.

Language barrier is not a problem. Most people
here speak english. I am sure there will be some
things to adjust to, but for the most part, you wont
have to worry at all.

There are a lot of strengths. My particular favorite
are the international rotations available. I can
speak well for this as I just got accepted to one. It
is extremely easy to coordinate and you can find
yourself gaining experiences in the depts of your
choice in hospitals across the world. It is very
cool! There is also a great physician advisor
program here where you learn alot. It is a much
friendlier atmosphere here where the doctors want
you to learn as much as you can and there is no
limit to what they will show you. One freshman
even partook in a transplant surgery, Its absolutely
nuts!

Which I guess answers your clinical question. I
think, no doubt, hands down, the clinical
experience here, particularly with the advisor
program and in the 3rd and 4th yrs when you do
rotatioins are beyond anything you might find back
in the states. I really think this is what makes the
program and its reputation. Weaknesses...well, i
would be lying if I said there wont be days you get
frustrated, whether it be from being far from home,
bad professor, etc. Yet most often, not a
problem...or at least one that cant be avoided.

And:
I went to Sackler for two years, and then
transferred to University of X. I went to Israel
initially because I had not gotten into UofX (which
is where I am from) and I figured I had nothing to
lose by living in Israel for medical school...(and I
hoped I'd meet a nice guy there too!)....so I went,
absolutely loved Israel, and met the man of my
dreams- all within the first few months. He was two
years ahead of me at Sackler, so when he
graduated (we were engaged), I re-applied to
UofX and got in and a transfer into their third year
class (the class I would have originally been part of
had they accepted me in the first place)....

Looking at clinical experience I had in city X
compared to my best friend's in Israel, I definitely can
see a difference. In Israel, you learn a lot
more "medicine", but not much practical
knowledge. My friend knew much more about
medicine than I did when i graduated (he also
studied more though), but he had a hard time when
he came to the US for residency. It took him a long
time to understand what people wanted him to do,
to write notes, to manage patients in the american
hospital setting. It made his intern year immensely
more difficult that it already would have been. I, on
the other hand, had all that practical knowledge
because I did my clinicals in the US system.

Medical students in the US get totally involved in
the care of their patients, where in israel they dont-
they just see patients once and get a history, but
dont follow them....I think the medical knowledge
comes with time, but the practical knowledge is
what will get you farther in residency and i feel is
more important. (my friend agrees and if he
could do it over, he would have gone to a DO
school in the US instead).

I know that some people at sackler get into good
residencies, but others struggle, unless they have
amazing board scores, or they want to be in NYC
(which i had no desire of). The other problem they
have is if they are going into competitive
specialities- its very difficult to get into derm,
ophthal, ENT, etc coming from a US school, but
sackler it is nearly impossible.

almost everyone in israel speaks english, but it is
much easier if you speak hebrew, because
sometimes when theyre sick, they dont want to
speak english. also if theyre russian (which many
are) they dont speak english. i dont speak hebrew,
so it would have been hard for me in 3rd and 4th
year, but thankfully i didnt have to deal with it. my
friend speaks hebrew like a child, and he got by
OK, but there were frustrating times for him too.

Im not sure about research opportunities, although
im sure there must be some. its a huge academic
institution.

Culturally, it was the best experience of my life-
living in israel and travelling all over the middle east
was something i'll always cherish. i want to go
back many times, bring my kids there, etc. i had a
toos toos (motor scooter) and went all over tel aviv-
went to all the great clubs, bars, and restaurants,
and made the absolute best of my time there. the
friends i made i will have always, along with all the
great memories. it was amazing...i lived in ramat
aviv one year (where the school is) and north tel
aviv the second year. it was so much fun!!!