Non-Academic Criteria for Admission to Israeli Medical Schools: Recommendations for Change

Three of the top medical schools in Israel (Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, and the Technion) use the so-called "MOR—MIRKAM" exam as the non-academic criterion in their medical school admissions. Candidates who clear the demanding cognitive thresholds at these three universities are then evaluated at a second stage by one of two assessment centers (MOR or MIRKAM) administered by the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation (NITE). In the final admission score, the Hebrew University places a 60% weight on the MOR—MIRKAM exam and 40% on the cognitive scores, while Tel Aviv University and the Technion weigh the MOR—MIRKAM exam 70% against 30% for the cognitive scores. These are very large weights on an exam without any supporting empirical evidence in Israel that the exam measures clinical skills. The cognitive component includes two measures: (1) the "Bagrut", an exam taken at the end of secondary education in Israel that includes all of the subjects studied in high school and (2) the "Psychometric" Exam, a general scholastic aptitude test with verbal, quantitative, and English sections. The paper first examines the mechanics of the MOR—MIRKAM system. It then discusses the large private industry that charges thousands of dollars to prepare students for the exam. Next the paper explains why the limited empirical work does not test whether the exam measures clinical skills. Finally, the paper recommends changes to how the exam is used to ensure that candidates with the strongest academic records and the greatest research potential are admitted to medical school.