The First Galilee Student Conference: Rethinking the Future of Healthcare in Northern Israel

The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine for the Galilee at Bar-Ilan University held the first Galilee Student Conference on October 19. The conference was initiated and led by a group of medical students participating in the Medical Education Program, who developed the idea and organized the event with the goal of placing the future of healthcare in the Galilee at the center of public discussion. Throughout the process, the students were guided by Prof. Ayelet Arbel-Eden, Head of the Medical Education Unit, and received professional support from Prof. Nadav Davidovitch. The conference brought together policymakers, local government leaders, healthcare executives, researchers, and students for an open discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing healthcare in the Galilee.

Opening the conference, the student organizers said: “We do not want to stand on the sidelines and watch what is happening in the North. We want our voices to be heard, to take responsibility, and to be part of the change.”

The conference featured two main panels: one focused on healthcare infrastructure in the Galilee and the other on the human capital needed to ensure that physicians and healthcare professionals choose to build their futures in the region.

The first panel highlighted the need for a long-term, region-specific approach to healthcare planning. Participants discussed strengthening hospitals, expanding investment in infrastructure and research, improving mental health services, and increasing access to advanced medical care. While opinions differed on the best strategies, there was broad agreement that reducing disparities between the center of the country and the periphery must remain a national priority.

Prof. Orly Avni, Dean of the Faculty, emphasized the connection between students’ professional futures and the future of healthcare in the Galilee:

“Strengthening healthcare in the North is not an act of charity. It is a national growth engine. We are not the periphery. We are the frontier. When we can give our students a clear and confident answer about their future in the Galilee, we will also be able to provide Galilee residents with a better answer about the future of their healthcare.”

The second panel focused on how to make the Galilee a home rather than a temporary stop for physicians, researchers, and other professionals. Participants stressed the importance of strong communities, expanded research opportunities, meaningful personal and family incentives, and improved quality of life. They noted that addressing these challenges requires a broad perspective that includes not only healthcare, but also education, employment, transportation, and culture.

The conference demonstrated the Faculty’s role as a driving force in strengthening healthcare in the Galilee. Beyond training the next generation of physicians, the Faculty works to create opportunities that encourage graduates to build their careers in the region, while fostering collaboration between academia, healthcare organizations, and local communities.

Concluding the conference, Prof. Avni reflected:

“Today, during this discussion, we learned that we are not alone.”

For her, the conference also highlighted the students themselves as essential partners in shaping the future. Their initiative and ability to bring together decision-makers and healthcare leaders showed that they are ready to take an active role in improving healthcare in the North even while they are still students. Alongside the Faculty’s commitment to creating opportunities for them in the Galilee, the conference demonstrated their potential to help build that future themselves.