Any physicians who have successfully made aliyah?

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Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Israel related Inquiries & Aliyah Questions

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irrationalrose

Tue, Aug 13 2013, 5:05 pm

If you are, or are married to, a physician who successfully made aliyah and currently practices in israel - what did you do to prepare? how long did it take to find a job? what are your hours/compensation like now compared to the US? is a single physician's income enough to support a family or does the spouse have to work?

Marion

Wed, Aug 14 2013, 12:31 am

We have a paediatrician friend who made aliyah, but from the UK.

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Aug 14 2013, 12:34 am

OP, I know of a few physicians who have made aliyah and are practicing in their fields.

Im sorry that I cant help more specifically, but it can be done.

Good Luck!

irrationalrose

Thu, Aug 15 2013, 10:30 am

do you know if their spouses work?

mandksima

Thu, Aug 15 2013, 10:45 am

Both doctors that I know that made aliyah within the past few years have spouses that both work but I don't think they HAVE to, they want to. One doctor is a woman so her dh works also. The other is the husband and I know he earns nothing like he would in the States but he is from Canada anyway so I am not knowledgable about incomes there in relation to the States. His wife runs a business and travels a lot so I think that is just the lifestyle they wanted to continue. If you want to know if you don't have to work just because your dh is a doctor or vice versa, unless he is a top specialist that sees privately, most doctor incomes still need a second income to make ends meet if they have high expenses or wish to live an upper class lifestyle. Especially if they work in the kupat cholim. It depends on how much savings you come with and if you can afford to buy a house outright, a car, appliances, bring lift, etc and still have left to use a little every month if you need to. The doctors I know who came here, came with lots of savings.

shabbatiscoming

Thu, Aug 15 2013, 4:05 pm

irrationalrose wrote:

do you know if their spouses work?

I know one family where the husband is a doctor and the wife does not work.

Liba

Thu, Aug 15 2013, 4:47 pm

My cousin, 42 years married, 40 years MD just made aliya. She is a pediatrician. She is working over the computer, "tele- doctoring."

My PCP is a sweet lady who made aliya with her family four years ago. The first three years she was at home and her DH (also a PCP) commuted to the states to work there. For the past year they have both been working for our kupah. They seem to be doing okay. They are both really happy, both with the work, the community, and the fact that the husband is in E"Y full time now.

irrationalrose

Fri, Aug 16 2013, 3:52 pm

I can't imagine commuting back and forth to US and Israel.

shabbatiscoming

Sat, Aug 17 2013, 3:17 pm

irrationalrose wrote:

I can't imagine commuting back and forth to US and Israel.

I know one or two men who do this, but I dont know any women who do this.
Best of luck to you!

freidasima

Sat, Aug 17 2013, 3:39 pm

I know quite a few. They earn a lot less than in the USA. Spouses have to work if they want to keep up a good lifestyle. Also depends where they work, there are those working in hospitals and those in kupat cholim and those in R&D and teaching. Big differences in salary. If you can also take private patients you can earn a lot more. If you don't you earn a pittance compared to doctors abroad.

irrationalrose

Sun, Aug 18 2013, 2:04 pm

I'm very confused about cost of living in israel. one the one had the nbn people say you don't need too much because you don't have to pay for school or medical care or kosher food, on the other hand I hear people complaining all the time about the high cost of living in israel.

mandksima

Sun, Aug 18 2013, 4:50 pm

irrationalrose wrote:

It depends on so many factors, that is why you get so many conflicting answers.

Depends on:

-what is the size of your family?
-what are the ages of your children? (high school is much more $ than elementary school)
-how old are you and your dh now (close to retirement or newly married and no work experience, for ex.?)
-where you want to live (cities are more, yishuvim out in nowhere much less)?
-do you want to rent or buy immediately or soon buy once you are certain of the place?
-how are you with budgeting? Have you ever had to before?
-Do you want to live within a budget?
-Are you used able to change your outlook on what is considered necessity/luxury here if need be and you need to live more modestly?
-Do you need a car or two cars (is there good enough public transportation where you live?)
-Do you understand that certain foods here cost a lot compared to the US and others are cheaper such as dairy, cereals, fish, junk food, chicken= expensive. Vegetables, grains, legumes, some meats= cheaper. This means food can be cheaper if you eat certain ways. It may be totally different than the way you used to budget meals in the US. Can your family cope with the changes? Do you need the expensive hechsherim or will you eat rabanut which is cheaper?
-will you require trips to the States to visit family? How often?

Those kind of things. So many answers, so many variables. A lot to think about but honestly, some of them you won't know how you feel about them until you live here and see how your family settles in and what your needs are.

irrationalrose

Tue, Aug 20 2013, 1:01 pm

thanks for the detailed response! there's alot to think about there. seems like basically the more you want to maintain an american lifestyle the more you have to pay, which makes sense.

Tamiri

Tue, Aug 20 2013, 2:49 pm

irrationalrose wrote:

thanks for the detailed response! there's alot to think about there. seems like basically the more you want to maintain an american lifestyle the more you have to pay, which makes sense.

The same holds true in the U.S. You need money to keep up.

Tamiri

Tue, Aug 20 2013, 2:55 pm

irrationalrose wrote:

It's high-time NBN updated their stats and got with the program if, in fact, this is what they are saying. 10 years ago when we arrived, $3000/month could sustain us nicely (family of 6). This is no longer the case. The dollar devalued and the price of everything in Israel (just like most of the world) rose tremendously. Taxes went up and benefits went down. If you are planning on living in a decent home just about ANYWHERE, including over the green line, you will need to fork over well WELL over $1000, where once upon a time the same place rented for $500-$700. And that's just the beginning. You pay LESS for tuition here, but you are earning LESS. You pay for books, food and transportation. It SEEMS as though medical care costs less but a person with a nice income sees a HUGE chunk go to "health tax" on a monthly basis. The more you earn, the bigger that chunk. I used to be able to spend less than the equivalent of $1000/month on groceries, what I spent in the U.S. No more. I'm lucky if I keep it close to $1000... the far side of $1000, that is. Fuel, electricity... everything has gone up. Israel is a VERY expensive place to live.
And it's a miracle so many people manage!

irrationalrose

Tue, Aug 20 2013, 3:38 pm

what about buying? is that a cheaper option or are property taxes high too?

mandksima

Tue, Aug 20 2013, 3:54 pm

irrationalrose wrote:

what about buying? is that a cheaper option or are property taxes high too?

Property taxes are paid by the renter as well as the buyer so you don't save there. Buying a house requires a lot down so you need much more cash than a mortgage in the States would need. At least 30%. Even the cheaper places are now expensive, there really aren't any good deals in the mercaz area. Up North or down South is more affordable but doesn't have as many ammenities.

Peanut2

Tue, Aug 20 2013, 4:08 pm

You need 40% to buy.

Also, if you want/need private health care that raises costs tremendously in Israel. I keep saying this, we had excellent insurance in the States so Israeli healthcare will be much more expensive for us, even if you ignore the health tax. We paid $200 a month for our share of insurance, and I don't want to share how little we paid after that. In return we got everything, including dental insurance, what in Israel is considered "private" doctors (can pick your doctor or midwife for delivery, access to any doctor...) Sigh.

The cost of things in Israel was always high, but when you came with dollars once upon a time that was helpful. These days it's almost the opposite. Even soup nuts and bamba are cheaper in America than in Israel.

I don't know why Israel is so expensive, but it really is.

Gsanmb

Tue, Aug 20 2013, 7:23 pm

We haven't made aliyah (yet) but dh is a physician and we started the paperwork a few years ago, when NBN was having their Physicians' program (an extra $20K a year over 3 years subsidy).

We couldn't make it work, even with that amount extra, because we have medical school loans that amount to another monthly mortgage and even with two salaries and a subsidy, it would not be doable in Israel.

But, please be aware there are several bureaucratic hoops to jump through. Be VERY careful about completing paperwork properly (with appropriate authorizations/notarizations etc.). Doctor will have to take a licensing exam in Israel as well, or at least that is how it was in 2009. Much of it can be done in advance in the U.S. but not all of it, which delays being able to start working/earning a salary.

Dh wanted to go right into Tzahal and serve there as an Army Surgeon, and then move into the private sector. We were not able to get a straight answer about whether he could do that and what role it would serve as far as licensing, etc. They were concerned about his age (40 at the time).

I can look up my files if you have any specific questions about the process.

Tamiri

Tue, Aug 20 2013, 11:59 pm

Gsanmb wrote:

Dh wanted to go right into Tzahal and serve there as an Army Surgeon, and then move into the private sector. We were not able to get a straight answer about whether he could do that and what role it would serve as far as licensing, etc. They were concerned about his age (40 at the time).

I can look up my files if you have any specific questions about the process.

I'm not a physician but to my untrained eye and experience, moving into the private sector isn't something that would generally work here. To make a living relying solely on the private sector, you would need to have enough paying customers willing to fork over his fees. While private medicine exists and is thriving in this country, it co-exists (as do the doctors as far as I can tell) with the various national medical plans. Doctors keep up their hours at the kupot, and see privately "on the side". If you haven't been through the national system, I don't know where that leaves you with regards to anything.
Also, AFAIK, there is a time span where the physician is "in training" and then has to undergo licensing. I don't think, again AFAIK, you can drop off the plane and start working as a Dr. Same as any other country, of course. There is protocol.....

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