Planting the Future Generation of Medical Students in the Galilee

The Unit for Medical Education at the Faculty is currently in the process of being established. Its role is to shape the Faculty’s pedagogical direction, make advanced teaching methodologies accessible, and support the alignment of medical training with the challenges of the 21st century and the evolving needs of the clinical environment.

The Unit’s activities are based on four principal domains of action: the planning and implementation of curricula, including the gradual advancement of competency‑based medical education (CBME); faculty development and training; the enhancement of teaching processes and course evaluation; and the support of students in forming their professional identity as physicians—competent, ethical, and humane—who choose to anchor their professional future and growth in the Galilee.

A key milestone in the process was the presentation of the Unit at a Faculty leadership meeting, during which its vision, mission, and main directions of action were outlined. The discussion regarding the Unit’s continued establishment raised two central topics: prioritizing tasks for the first year of operation, with an emphasis on selecting initiatives that will generate the greatest value for the Faculty; defining the Unit’s authority and its interfaces with Faculty leadership, committees, course coordinators, and departments. During the meeting, a general mapping of the main anticipated barriers at the establishment stage was also conducted. The discussion helped to sharpen the need to develop the Unit in a gradual, practical, and collaborative manner, while mapping the needs of faculty and students and strengthening training processes within the Faculty.

At the conclusion of the leadership meeting, an olive tree was planted in the Faculty courtyard as a symbol of growth, rootedness, and long‑term vision. This act echoes the inspiring words of Janusz Korczak: “He who is concerned about the days to come sows wheat; he who is concerned about the years to come plants trees; he who is concerned about generations educates people.”