Doctor's column: frankly about Arab medics in Israel

Anesthesiologist Yuri Suponitsky examines common claims about the proportion of Arab doctors in Israel. He cites statistics: in 2010, Arabs made up 8% of doctors, in 2023 — 25%, and among those taking the licensing exam — 35–40%. The author explains that 20% of Israel's population is Arab, and the increase in their share in medicine is logical. He also describes the medical education system in the country and abroad, including the Yatziv reform, and notes that the quality of doctors depends on motivation, not on where they studied.

Anesthesiologist Yuri Suponitsky, in a column for Vesti, analyzes the topic of Arab doctors in Israel, which periodically surfaces in the Russian-language segment of Facebook. The author immediately warns that the text is not about xenophobia, but about medical training. He cites statistics: Arabs make up 20% of Israel's population, and their share among doctors has grown from 8% in 2010 to 25% in 2023. Among those taking the licensing exam, Arabs constitute 35–40%. The author explains that this is logical, as people want to work close to home, and medical professions are becoming popular in the Arab sector. He then describes the medical education system in Israel: in the 1990s, there were 4 faculties graduating about 400 doctors per year. The number gradually grew, with new faculties opening in Safed (2011), Ariel (2019), and Reichman (2025). By 2030, the plan is to graduate 1,700 doctors per year. About 60% of new doctors study abroad. The Yatziv reform (2019) divided foreign universities into recognized and unrecognized, targeting universities in Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, and the Palestinian Authority. The author notes that the licensing exam in Israel has become a "farce" with repeated questions. He concludes that a doctor's quality depends on their mind and motivation, not on where they studied.