The global medical school, 2020

With fast-developing technologies and communication, the future of the medical school is not clear. The definition of the graduate is shifting from what was forged in the past to a new doctor. The trends are towards more specialization, mastering of modern technologies and scientific achievements, versus community awareness and a return to family doctors. An innovative approach was taken with the development of a program in International Health and Medicine at Ben Gurion University, supplementing the regular curriculum of the Medical School. Such programs might bridge the gap between the doctor in industrial countries and the physician in Third World countries, by creating a physician who will be able to function in cultural environments other than his/her own.