Congratulations! You are in preparations for an experience of a lifetime! So you have your CA (certificate of acceptance) and you have your ticket - what do I do next?
1. Travelling from the airport - Unfortunately, we do not provide pickup from the airport. We recommend two options of travel from the airport - taxi / train. Check out the "ONCE YOU ARRIVE" section for more information.
2. Where am I sleeping? - Please note that check In & Out Dorms @ Sun-Thu 9AM-12 PM (noon)
Arriving late / early? Since the dorms are only available for check in on the dates of your exchange - check out these hostels in Tel Aviv to spend the night : Hayarkon 48 hostel, or check out this list of hostels.
3. Have you confirmed your exchange? - Remember, you must send your CC after recieving the Card of Acceptance (CA), in order to validate the exchange. Not sure how to do it? Ask your exchange officer in order to make sure you have completed all the neccessary steps before starting your exchange!
4. Get to know the city where you're going to stay - Check out our extensive wiki page for information on the city you are going to be visiting!
Public transportation is not available from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening - This is important. If you are landing somewhere between Friday afternoon and Saturday night - only taxis are available. Take this into consideration if you are planning to travel somewhere on the weekend where you land.
Shalom and welcome to Israel! We are very glad to have you here.
Unfortunately - we apologize for not being able to meet you at the airport.
While you're at the airport, it would be wise to :
1. Stop by the Israeli Tourist Information Desk - Pick up some pamphlets, and if you see it - grab Time Out Israel in the luggage hall for free!
2. Change some of your money to New Israeli Shekels - If you haven't done so already - make sure to change some money into New Israeli Shekelsn (Tip: Israelis just calls them "shekels", as in "this can of coke is 5 shekels").
Travelling from the airport - Unfortunately, we do not provide pickup from the airport. We recommend two options of travel from the airport :
Train - Check out the train schedule at the train station website. The most central station in Tel Aviv is Tel Aviv Center - Savidor.
Taxi - The airport has a taxi service that can take you directly to your hostel / dorms. Make sure to get a taxi from the taxi line outside the terminal hall only.
On your first day of exchange - first go to the hospital where your dorms are located, and only then to the hospital where you are doing your exchange - Please bear in mind that the Israeli work week is from Sunday - Thursday. If your first day of exchange is a Friday - you should only come in on Sunday.
In Tel Aviv - Check In & Out Dorms is Sun-Thu 9AM-12 PM (noon) and only during Exchange Period. No exceptions! If you do not arrive or leave within the check-in/out hours/dates, please be advised that there are Youth Hostels all over the country.
REACHING YOUR HOSPITAL / DORMITORY:
Remember : First go to the hospital where your dorms are located. Only after checking in - proceed to the hospital where your exchange is held.
TIP! Everywhere is reachable by taxi. Taxis are dispatched from outside the greeting hall at the airport. The fair should be around 150 NIS (the driver will turn a meter on).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
TEL HASHOMER / SHEBA
1. Take the train from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv Center - Savidor / Arlozorov.
2. From outside the train station - take bus number 55 / 70 to Tel Hashomer Hospital.
3. Contact person for dormitory :
Hospital School of Nursing Tel-Hashomer.
Mrs. Shosh Shimon School of Nursing management
1st Telephone : +972 (0)3 5302580
2nd Telephone : +972 (0) 3-6423428
4. Department coordinator :
Mrs. Pnina Eliyahu Hospital’s Director’s Office room 118. Only Sun, Tue, Thur 9:00-12:00 noon.
Telephone : +972(0)3-6423428 or +972 (0)3-5303370
Pnina will show you where to get the meal tickets (in Building 65!) and the clothes. Ask for the meal receipts as soon as you buy them (in advance) where Pnina will show you. They will not give you the receipt if you buy the meal at the lunch restaurant itself.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ICHILOV / SOURSASKY
1. Take the train from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv Center - Savidor / Arlozorov.
2. From the train station - take bus line number 7 directly to Ichilov, or just walk for 10-15 minutes.
3. Contact person for dormitory :
School of Nursing -Ichilov Hospital.
Mrs. Zahava Mincha - School of Nursing management
1st Telephone : +972-(0)3-6973549
2nd Telephone : +972 (0)3-6423428
4. Department coordinator :
Ms. Yoly Stanislavsky - Hospital Management
Telephone : +972-(0)3-9377639
4. Department coordinator :
Mrs. Margalit Schneps & Mrs. Rachel Cohen - Deputy manager's office
Telephone : +972-(0)3-6963206 / +972(0)3-6423428
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BELLINSON / SCHNEIDER / GEHA / DINA SCHOOL OF NURSING :
1. Take the train from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv Center - Savidor / Arlozorov.
2. From the train station - take bus line number 66 / 82 directly to the hospital.
3. Contact person for dormitory :
Dina School of Nursing-Beilinson Hospital Petach-Tikva
Mrs. Roza Lubinin School of Nursing management
1st Telephone : +972 (0)3-9377751
2nd Telephone : +972 (0)3-6423428
4. Department coordinator :
BELLINSON HOSPITAL : Ms. Yoly Stanislavsky - Hospital Management
Telephone : +972-(0)3-9377639
HASHARON HOSPITAL : Dr. Pazit Kanter at department of Internal Medicine ward B.
Telephone : +972 (0)504065946 or +972-(0)3-9372493 or +972-(0)3-9372576
SCHNEIDER CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL : Mrs. Oranit Sigavi, Pediatrics Division secretary
Telephone : +972(0)3-9253779
Yoli (the department coordinator) will give you a piece of paper with your name and dates of your stay. You take this to the office where you buy the tickets - Yoli will give you directions. The tickets can only be bought between 11-13 and cost 7.50 NIS each. You can buy as many or as few as you would like each time. The man sitting in the stand to the left speaks very good English and will have no problem understanding that you need the receipt, with the women there are sometime problems with this.
Please make sure you keep the receipts in order to get the refund at the end of the month.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITH WOLFSON HOSPITAL, HOLON :
1. Take the train from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv Ha'hagana.
2. From the train station - walk to the central bus station (it's a 5 minute walk) and take bus line 17 (from the street outside the station), or bus line 41 (from inside the station, 7th floor) directly to Wolfson hospital
3. Contact person for dormitory :
Medical Center School of Nursing Holon
1st Telephone : +972 (0)3-5028359
2nd Telephone : +972 (0)3-6423428
4. Department coordinator :
Dr. Zehavit Ziv-Ner / Ms. Sigal Benafshe
Telephone : +972-(0)3-5028325
Lunch tickets have to bought in advance with a receipt! The lunch tickets can be bought from the cashiers. I highly recommend to go there with someone of the department who can guide, translate and moreover certify that the tickets are for an exchange student of their department.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
MEIR HOSPITAL :
1. Take the train from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv Center - Savidor / Arlozorov.
2. From the train station - take bus number 149 from outside the station (the station is located on Namir Highway). Get off at Tschenichovsky street.
3. Contact person for dormitory :
Medical Center School of Nursing Holon
Mrs. Galia Lisbord - School of Nursing management
1st Telephone : +972 (0)3-5028359
2nd Telephone : +972 (0)3-6423428
4. Department coordinator :
Dr. Avishai Nachshoni, at Deputy's Director’s Office
Telephone : +972 (0)9-7472582
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ASAF-HAROFEH HOSPITAL :
1. Take the train from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv Ha'hagana.
2. From the train station - walk to the central bus station (it's a 5 minute walk) and take bus line 451 / 461 to Jaffa Gate, Zeriffin. There is a small shopping center at the entrance to Asaf Harofe hospital.
3. Contact person for dormitory :
School of Nursing Zerifin
Mrs. Haya Barouch - School of Nursing management.
1st Telephone : +972 (0)8-9779472
2nd Telephone : +972 (0)3-6423428
4. Department coordinator :
Mrs. Fredrica Gendler - Hospital's Director Office
Telephone : +972 (0)8-9779560
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerusalem
From the airport to Jerusalem we recommend taking a service taxi called “Nesher Sherut”. They are located just out side the airport. It is not recommended that you take a “special taxi” which is rather expensive (250-300 shekels).
A service taxi might take you directly to Hadassah Medical Center in “Ein Kerem” for slightly more than the rate to the central bus station (around 35 shekels for center, 50 for other location, but ask first), so ask the driver when you get into the taxi. If you arrive at the Central Bus Station, take the train to Mount Herzl and then take bus No.27 to the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem.
If you prefer taking a bus- Take Shuttle bus (line number 5) from Terminal 3 (where you just arrived) to El-Al junction (This is an internal connection service within the airport). From El-Al junction take bus line number 947 (of the Egged bus company) to the Jerusalem Central bus station, and then continue as stated above.
Once in Hadassah, there are two bus stops at the Medical Center. You should get off at the first one which is at the Medical School, (the second is at the Hospital). The first bus stop is about 20 meters after the main entrance.
The Jerusalem Society of Medical Students’ Office (JSMS, in Hebrew you pronounce it AGUDAT HASTUDENTIM) is located at the “new student’s building”.
Ask around for the cafeteria or for the AGUDAT HA'STUDENTIM, most people will know where it is and will be happy to help you. You could also ask for the book store AKADEMON which is located at the same building as we are.
When you will finally arrive to the right building (and I know a few students that it took them a while… Please don't be shy and ask around for help. Most Israelis have this desire to help) you will meet Galit, the secretary of our student society. Galit and I will register you and will show you around.
In Jerusalem Office hours are Sunday through Thursday from 09:00 to 12:30. Please make sure to arrive at the office during these hours only.
It is impossible to check-in/out before/after your confirmed exchange period, and only during the check-in days & hours – no exceptions!
Please note that it is possible to check in the dorms between 9AM - 12PM only, no exceptions.
The phone number of the office is +972-(0)2-6758483.
From the airport to Haifa, the best way would be to take the train to Haifa, Bat-Galim station. From the train station - take a taxi to Allenby 85 street, in Kiryat Eliezer neighbourhood. It is possible to check into the dorms at any time of the day. The guard in the dorms will have a list of all students and will give you your key.
The day following your arrival, make your way to the Medical Students Association (instructions will be supplied by the guard in the entrance to the dorms). Get off the bus on "Ha'aliya Hashnya" street and walk to Efron street. Walk into Rambam Hospital (Please note : even if you are assigned to a different hospital this is still mandatory), and walk into the tall white building to your left. Walk up one flight of stairs to get to the Medical Students Association in Haifa.
Please note that you must be at the Medical Students Association by 9AM the day after you arrive (so you will have some time to rest). Please do not be late.
From the airport to Beer Sheva we recommend taking the train. The train is located right outside the airport and it may go through Tel Aviv. The train ride might take between 1-2 hours. Take the train to Beer Sheva North station, also called the University. It is the first station in Beer Sheva. Go out to the main street, called Ben Gurion st. Take a right and start walking down. You will see the Sports Center on your right and the main campus of Ben Gurion University straight ahead. The Faculty of Medicine is across the street from the main Campus.
When you go in, ask around for the Caroline Building, or the office of ASRAN. Don't be shy, Israelis are eager to help. When you come into the office, you will meet Pazit, our secretary, and Dana, the Local Exchange Officer (LEO). We will show you around the hospital. The hospital tour will include getting all the necessary documentations, your coat, library pass and food stamps. You will be taken to your department as well.
Once we've completed that, you will be taken to your dorms, located just across the street from the hospital. (Across the street from the pool and one of the most popular student bars- the Einstein as well).
In Beer Sheva Office hours are Sunday through Thursday from 09:00 to 14:30 only. Checking into the dorms is only Sunday through Thursday, 9:00- 14:00. Please make sure to arrive at the office during these hours only. It is impossible to check-in/out before/after your confirmed exchange period, and only during the check-in days & hours – no exceptions! The phone number of the office is +972-8- 6479538