Physicians Regulations

Definitions

1.  For purposes of these regulations:

“A scientific organization” is a body the Council recognizes as such.

“A graduate” - As per the Rules of the Council for Higher Education (Recognized Titles), 1964.

“The Council” - The Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association.

“Basic Science” - One of the following: immunology, anatomy, anatomic pathology, anthropology, epidemiology, medical ethics, biology, biochemistry, biophysics, genetics, chemistry, physical chemistry, microbiology, computer science, sociology, statistics, physics, physiology, psychology, pharmacology, history of medicine, nutrition.

“Recognized institution” - A unit, medical institution, medical organization, departmental institute, department, group of departments, laboratory, clinic or any service or center recognized for purposes of residency according to these regulations.

“Master’s Degree” - As per the Rules of the Council for Higher Education (Recognized Titles), 1964.

“Secondary Field” - A branch of medicine specified in Column B of the Appendix, which is not specified as a main specialty.

“Sub-specialty” - A branch of medicine in which the inception of residency is conditional upon receipt of the title of specialist in a main specialty, as specified in the Appendix.

“Main Specialty” - A branch of medicine in which the candidate receives the title of specialist after completing all requirements of the residency, with no requirement of specialization in an additional field.

"Stage 1 Clinic" -  A place where family medicine services are provided to the community, and the resident works under the supervision of a mentor in the clinic.

"Stage 2 Clinic" – A place where family medicine services are provided to the community, and the resident works independently in the unit and the clinic.

“Residency log book” - A notebook given by the Council to the resident for the purpose of recording the details of his residency.

“Advanced Trauma Life Support Course (ATLS)” - A concentrated course in resuscitation and emergency life support, including treatment for injury, approved by the Director General in consultation with the Council.

“Advanced Pediatric Life Support Course (APLS)” - A concentrated course in resuscitation and emergency life support in pediatric care, approved by the Director in consultation with the Council.

"Advanced Cardiac Life Support Course (ACLS)" – A concentrated course in resuscitation and life support in emergency cardio-vascular situations and heart-lung resuscitation, approved by the director in consultation with the council.

“Physician” - One who is licensed to practice medicine according to section 3 of the Physicians’ Ordinance.

Title of Specialist

2.   No title of specialist (hereinafter – the title or specialty certification) will be awarded a physician unless it is one of the titles designated in column A of the Appendix, and no title will be approved unless it is in accordance with these regulations.

3. (a) A physician applying for residency shall submit to the Council an application for residency and shall append to his application the following:

(1)  Written confirmation from a medical school recognized in accordance with section 4(b) of the Physicians’ Ordinance, attesting that the physician completed all requirements necessary to receive the title of MD.
 

(2) Written confirmation from the director of a recognized institution and the chairman of the residency committee in such institution, attesting that they have agreed to accept the physician as a resident.

(a1) If a specialization request is approved, the Council shall provide the applicant with written confirmation of the approval and shall attach to this confirmation a notice specifying all of the following:

• The obligation to report the specialization to the Ministry of Health,
• The manner in which such a report must be submitted, and
• The consequences of failing to report as specified,

all as established in these regulations.

The Director shall publish on the Ministry of Health’s website a sample version of such a notice.

(a2) A physician whose request for specialization was approved by the Council shall submit, via the Ministry’s online platform, a report on the specialization within two months from the date of receiving the written confirmation as mentioned in subsection (a1). This report shall include the following:

1. The report must contain the following details:
   (a) Applicant’s personal information and contact details;
   (b) Details of the internship completed and any previous specializations, if applicable;
   (c) Details of the current specialization.
2. The applicant must attach the following documents to the report:
   (a) A written confirmation from the director of a recognized institution, as referenced in subsection (a)(2);
   (b) A written confirmation from the Council indicating that the request for specialization was approved, as referenced in subsection (a1).

(a3) Upon receipt of a specialization report pursuant to subsection (a2), the Ministry of Health shall provide the applicant with confirmation of receipt of the report.

(b) Upon approval of the application for residency, the date upon which the application was received by the Council shall be considered the starting date of the residency. 

(c)
An individual seeking to change his place of residency shall submit a request to the Council for approval of the change in the residency location. The request must be accompanied by written confirmations from the head of the department and the chairperson of the residency committee at a recognized institution that is willing to accept him as a resident (i.e., confirmations from the recognized institution indicating their readiness to accept the individual as a resident in accordance with this sub-regulation).

If the request is approved by the Council, the individual shall submit an online notification to the Ministry of Health via its website, within two months from the date the request was approved. This notification must include the details specified in sub-regulation (a2)(1) and be accompanied by:

• Confirmations from the recognized institution indicating their willingness to accept the individual as a resident.
• The Council’s approval of the change in residency location.

The starting date of the residency at the new location shall be determined in accordance with sub-regulations (b) and (d).

(d) The Council may, for special reasons that shall be noted, approve as the starting date of the residency the date given by the recognized institution, even if such date precedes the date upon which the request was received by the Council, provided that the request was received within 60 days of the actual starting date of the residency. 

(e) The Council shall provide the resident with a residency log book or shall update the entries in it, as the case may be, within 30 days of receiving a request from the resident, as stated in sub-sections (a) and (c). 

(f) Immediately after receiving the residency log book from the Council, the resident shall submit it for signature by the chairman of the residency committee at the recognized institution where s/he is undergoing residency. 

(g) A period of work shall not be recognized as part of the residency program if it was carried out without submitting a request as specified in sub-regulations (a), (b), or (c), as applicable, or if it was carried out without submitting a report on the approval to the Ministry of Health as specified in sub-regulation (a2) or (c), as applicable, after two months have passed since the date the request was approved by the Council.

However, the Director may recognize all or part of such a work period, taking into account special circumstances beyond the resident’s control. In the case of a work period carried out without submission of a request to the Council, the Director shall decide on recognition after consultation with the Chairperson of the Council.

Residency Requirements

4. Other than that which is stated in regulation 10, a candidate must undergo residency according to the provisions of this chapter and be examined in accordance with the provisions of chapter 5. 

Order of residency

5.    

a. Residency shall be performed through full-time, continuous work in a recognized institution, including the requisite number of on-call duties stipulated by the Council for that specialty, under the guidance and supervision of a specialist in that field.

b. deleted

c. deleted

d. One of the first two years and the final six months of the residency shall be performed in the main specialty unless stated otherwise in these regulations.

e. A resident in a sub-specialty in which the course of residency is 2-1/2 years may include in this period a period of six consecutive months of residency performed in this field as a secondary field, during the course of the main specialty.

f. deleted

g. A physician wishing to undergo residency in a sub-specialty, but who is not a specialist in one of the main specialties required as a prerequisite for that sub-specialty, shall not begin such residency until he has received confirmation from the Scientific Council regarding the completion of periods of residency in the various fields, as per the Council’s request.

h. Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-regulation (a), a residency period in the professions listed in sub-regulation (j) shall be carried out as continuous work in a recognized institution, at a scope of at least half-time employment. It shall include on-call duties in a number determined by the Council for that medical specialty, according to the scope of employment, and under the guidance and supervision of a certified specialist in that medical field.

i. A residency as described in sub-regulation (h) that is less than full-time shall be carried out according to the residency track specified in the Appendix to the main regulations, with necessary adjustments, and in accordance with a program pre-approved by the Scientific Council.

j. Sub-regulations (h) and (i) shall apply to residencies in the following specialties as listed in the Appendix:

1. Hematology (Item 3)
2. Clinical Immunology and Allergology (Item 4)
3. Pulmonology (Item 5)
4. Gastroenterology (Item 6)
5. Endocrinology (Item 7)
6. Anesthesiology (Item 21)
7. Diagnostic Radiology, Track B (Item 23)
8. Medical Administration (Item 35)
9. Neonatology (Item 36)
10. Medical Genetics (Item 37)
11. Rheumatology (Item 38)
12. Infectious Diseases (Item 41)
13. Pediatric Pulmonology (Item 46)
14. Pediatric Hemato-Oncology (Item 48)
15. Pediatric Gastroenterology (Item 49)
16. Pediatric Endocrinology (Item 51)
17. Clinical Pharmacology (Item 53)
18. Emergency Medicine (Items 54(b) through 54(f))
19. Pain Management Medicine (Item 55)
20. Palliative Medicine (Item 56)
21. Pediatric Nephrology (Item 50)

Period of residency

6.    

a. A period of residency shall be as designated in column B of the Appendix, alongside the desired title.  In addition, the residency shall include 6 months in a basic science, the subject and content of which the Council has approved in advance.

b. A candidate for a title in a field recognized as a basic science must add to the residency designated for that field an additional six months of residency in another basic science, unless stated otherwise in the Appendix.

c. A sub-specialty is one of the following fields listed in the Appendix: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,12a, 32 (track a only), 35,36,37,38,39,41,43,44,45,46,48,49,50,51,52,53,54 (tracks 1-5 only), 55, 56. Residency in a subspecialty shall be performed only after completing the title in the relevant main specialty, or in conjunction with it, if column B of the Appendix has a residency track allowing so.

c1. A period of residency in a sub-specialty shall be as designated in column B of the Appendix alongside the desired title.

d. The last 6 months of the internship year in a department accredited for residency in Israel in the fields of general surgery, pediatrics or internal medicine, shall be recognized, with the consent of the both the department head in the resident's main field and the resident himself, as the first six months of the residency in one of the aforementioned fields, provided that no more than six months elapsed between the end of the internship period and the beginning of the residency.

Continuity of residency

7.    
a. Continuity as stated in regulation 5 shall mean-

      i. In basic science - six consecutive months

      ii. In a secondary field - a period no shorter than that stipulated in the Appendix.

b. No interruption shall be allowed during or between the various stages of residency listed in regulation 7(a), above, unless it is in accordance with the provisions of regulation 7(c), below.

c. Notwithstanding the provisions of regulations 5 (a) and 7(a), the following interruptions shall be permitted:

d. An interruption caused by or resulting from the applicant’s service in the Israel Defense Forces, or by another reason over which the applicant had no control, subject to the approval of the Council chairman and the concurrence of the Director.

(1) An interruption for the purpose of undertaking a residency in a basic science or in a field mandatory for the approval of the title.

(2) An interruption for a maximum of one year, following a period of residency of at least two years in the main specialty, provided that the chairman of the Council has given his approval in advance and that the Director concurs.

(3) Deleted

(4) An interruption for the purpose of residency in public health after at least one continuous year of residency in a field other than public health, provided that such interruption is no longer than two years.

(5) An interruption for a period of no more than two years for research that includes a period of residency in basic science, and an interruption of no more than one and a half years for research, that does not include a period of residency in a basic science.

Non-recognition of residency

8. If the Council, or the professional advisory committee it has appointed for this purpose, does not recognize, in whole or in part, the applicant’s residency, such applicant shall not be eligible for examination until he completes an additional period of residency determined by the Council.

Exception with regard to the specialty certification of the supervisor

9. Despite the provisions of regulation 5, guidance and supervision may be exercised by an individual without specialty certification:

(1) If the supervisor is not a permanent resident of Israel and the Council has approved his guidance and supervision in advance.

(2) In non-clinical subjects-if the supervisor fulfills an academic-teaching role or if he has held an academic title no less than an M.A. or M.Sc. for at least 6 years. 

Requirement to complete a course in advanced life support

9a. 

(a)  A resident in one of the branches of residency specified in paragraphs 12, 12a, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 39, 40, 43 and 54 of the Appendix must submit to the Council a certificate of completion of a course in advanced trauma life support.

(b) A resident in pediatrics as specified in paragraph 9 of the Appendix and in emergency medicine as specified in paragraph 54 of the Appendix, must submit to the Council a certificate of completion of a course in Advanced Pediatric Life Support.

(c) A resident in emergency medicine as specified in paragraph 54 of the Appendix, must submit to the Council a certificate of completion of a course in advanced Cardiac Life Support.

10. (a) At the request of the following physicians, the Director may approve specialty certification without their undergoing residency in Israel:

(1) Deleted

(2) An individual approved by the Council to guide and supervise candidates for specialization in a field of medicine in which, in the opinion of the Director, there is an insufficient number of specialists to supervise such candidates;

(3) An individual for whom a given specialization or a similar one has been approved outside of Israel, if the Council so recommends, and in accordance with the conditions it stipulates, including the requirement of examinations.

(b) Upon recommendation of the Council, the Director may recognize work performed wholly or partially abroad for purposes of residency, in place of residency, or part thereof, conditionally or unconditionally, including the requirements to pass Stages 1 and 2 examinations, or both; if the Director has so approved part of the work, the required period of residency will be shortened accordingly, but the inception of residency for purposes of these regulations is from the day the candidate begins residency or the period of completion of residency in the recognized institution.

(c) The following are not obligated to do a period of basic science in their residency:

(1) A graduate in one of the basic sciences;

(2) A candidate for specialization in one of the following: public health, clinical microbiology, clinical biochemistry, forensic medicine, occupational medicine, family medicine.

(3) One who has done clinical research of which the subject, content and performance has been approved in advance by the Council, for a period of at least 6 months. The clinical research shall be performed full time and consecutively unless the Council agrees that the research will benefit from being divided into two periods.

(4) One whose basic sciences in a previous residency was approved.

(10a) – In this chapter:

• "Accreditation of an institution" – Accreditation of an institution as a recognized institution for specialization;
• "Supreme Accreditation Committee" – The Supreme Committee for Accreditation and Oversight of the Council;
• "Accreditation Committees" – Subcommittees of the Supreme Accreditation Committee, which examine the compliance of the institution requesting accreditation with the accreditation requirements;
• "Accreditation Conditions" – Conditions determined in writing by the Council that must be met by an institution seeking accreditation for specialization, according to the types of specialization.

(10b)

• (a) A request for accreditation of an institution shall be submitted by the institution’s director to the Supreme Accreditation Committee, and shall be accompanied by any documents or certifications required in accordance with the accreditation conditions.
• (b) A copy of the request shall be sent to the Director-General.
• (c) If the Council finds that the institution seemingly meets the accreditation conditions, it shall appoint an Accreditation Committee within 60 days from the date of the request submission.

(10c)

• (a) If the Supreme Accreditation Committee concludes, based on the Accreditation Committee’s report, that the institution meets the conditions for accreditation, it shall submit its recommendation, together with the recommendation of the Chairperson of the Council, to the Director-General within 30 days from the date the institution’s review is completed.
• (b) The Director-General may, based on the Council’s recommendation, grant full or conditional accreditation to the institution, under conditions and for a trial period, in whole or in part.
• (c) If an institution is accredited, the Director-General shall issue it a certificate of accreditation for specialization, detailing any conditions or restrictions if imposed.

(10d)

• (a) If any accreditation condition ceases to be fulfilled at the accredited institution, the director of the institution is required to immediately notify the Supreme Accreditation Committee and the Director-General.
• (b) The Director-General may, based on the Council’s recommendation, revoke the institution’s accreditation or restrict it in terms of time and conditions.
  ​​​​​​​

Section 10e

• (a) Accreditation of an institution shall be valid for a period not exceeding five years from the date it is granted. However, accreditation may be renewed if a request is submitted in the manner set out in Section 10b, no later than six months before the accreditation period ends.
• (b) The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the review of a request for accreditation renewal.

Section A: Examining bodies

11. (a) The Council plenum shall appoint a Supreme Examinations Committee.

(b) The chairman of the Committee will be one of the deputy chairmen of the Council.

Specialization committees

11a. (a) The Executive Committee of the Council shall appoint the following two specialization committees:

A committee for medical and laboratory fields;

A committee for surgical fields.

(b) The Executive Committee of the Council shall appoint the chairmen of the specialization committees.

(c) Members of the specialization committees shall be specialists who head a hospital department in their field and hold at least the position of senior lecturer in an Israeli medical school.

Examination committees

12. (a) For each field specified in the Appendix, the Executive Committee of the Council shall appoint, after consulting with the scientific association of the subject being tested, members of the examination committees, and shall supervise the testing in accordance with the residency program.

(b). The examination committees shall be subject to the professional decisions of the Supreme Examinations Committee.

The Supreme Examinations Committee shall appoint the chairmen of the examinations committees.

Members of the examinations committees shall be specialists, and at least three of them, including the chairman, shall be specialists in the field that is the subject of the examination.

There shall be no fewer than five members in an examination committee, including the chairman.

The tenure of a member of the examinations committee shall be the same as that of the Council’s term of office.

At the end of one term, at least half the members of the examinations committee shall be replaced by new members; no member shall serve for more than two terms.

Should the place of one member of the examinations committee be vacated, the Executive Committee of the Council shall appoint a replacement who shall serve until the end of the term of the member whose place was vacated.

Activities of the specialization committees

13. Within the context of the activities stated in regulation 12, the specialization committees shall be responsible for implementing examinations in the following fields:

The committee for medical fields-internal medicine, cardiology, hematology, clinical immunology and allergology, pulmonary diseases, gastroenterology, endocrinology, nephrology, pediatrics, neurology, psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, dermatology, diagnostic radiology, oncology, nuclear medicine, family medicine, public health, pathological anatomy, forensic medicine, physical and rehabilitative medicine, neonatology, medical administration, medical genetics, rheumatology, infectious diseases, occupational medicine, clinical microbiology, clinical biochemistry, geriatrics, pediatric neurology, pediatric cardiology, pediatric pulmonology, pediatric immunology and allergology, pediatric hemato-oncology, pediatric gastroenterology, pediatric nephrology, pediatric endocrinology, clinical pharmacology.

The committee for surgical fields-general surgery, neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, urology, ear, nose and throat diseases, ophthalmology, anesthesia, obstetrics and gynecology, vascular surgery, surgery of the hand, general intensive care, pediatric surgery, pediatric intensive care, emergency medicine.

Meetings and decisions of the specialization committees

14. (a) Half the members of the specialization committees shall constitute a legal quorum for meetings .

In the event of a tie, the vote of the committee chairman shall be decisive.

Fundamental decisions of the Supreme Examinations Committee shall be discussed and approved by the Executive Committee of the Council.

15. (cancelled)

Section B: Examination procedures

16. Form of the examination

(a) Examinations shall be oral and written, and may include practical medical work.

(b) Examinations shall be conducted in the Hebrew language.

17. Stages of the examinations

(a) The examinations shall be held in two stages: Stage 1 and Stage 2.

(b) A resident may sit for the Stage 1 examination any time after completing two years of the residency period, subject to the provisions of regulation 24(b).

A resident who passed Stage 1 examinations may sit for Stage 2 examinations, subject to the provisions of regulation 21.

18. Stage 1 examination

(a) The Stage 1 examination shall primarily test theoretical knowledge.  It will deal with patho-physiological processes that are the basis for illnesses, and with their attendant clinical problems, including diagnostic and treatment methods.

Stage 1 examinations may be in two or more parts, pursuant to the decision of the Supreme Examinations Committee.

19. Stage 2 examination

(a) The Stage 2 examination shall deal primarily with actual cases in the field of specialization, about which the resident will be asked to apply his knowledge vis a vis diagnosis, treatment and expert consultation in his field.

(b) In the sub-specialties, a final written and oral examination will be held at the end of the residency, unless the Supreme Examinations Committee, with the approval of the Executive Committee of the Council, has decided otherwise.

(c) In a sub-specialty that may be combined with residency in the main specialty, as discussed in section 6 (c1), the resident must pass stage 1 and stage 2 examination in the main specialty, as a condition for eligibility to be tested in the final examination of the sub-specialty.

20. Dates of examinations

Examinations shall be held at least once a year, according to the decision of the Supreme Examinations Committee; 30 days prior to the date of the examination, the Committee shall send a notice of the time and place of the examination in a given field to each resident asking to be tested in that field.

21. Participation in examinations

(a) (1) If the Supreme Examinations Committee sets dates in the spring and fall of a given year for Stage 2 examinations, a resident may take the examination in the spring or fall of his or her last year of residency and in the case of family medicine, during the last six months of their residency; passing the examination does not shorten the period of residency stipulated in the regulations.

(2) One who wishes to be examined in the spring or fall shall submit a request to the Council’s Supreme Examinations Committee, on a form available at the offices of the Council, no later than the date set by the Supreme Examinations Committee as the last date on which requests to be tested at that time may be submitted.

(b) The Council, or a committee appointed by it for that purpose, shall check the eligibility of a resident to be examined, and shall notify the resident of its decision.

(c) A resident may retract his or her decision to be examined by notifying the examination committee no later than 30 days prior to the date of the examination.

(d) Failure to be tested without prior notice as specified in sub-section (c) shall be considered as a failure unless the resident can prove to the satisfaction of the Executive Committee and at the earliest possible opportunity under the circumstances, that there was a legitimate reason for his or her non-participation.

Examination grades

(a) The grades for examinations or any part thereof shall be given as “pass” or “fail.”

The Supreme Examinations Committee shall confirm the results of the Stage 1 examination.

The examinations committees shall note the results of Stage 2 exams; each part shall be graded separately.

If there is a difference of opinion among the members of the examination committee in a Stage 2 examination, they may each recommend different grades.

Approval and announcement of examination results

(a) The examinations committee shall give the specialization committee a report regarding the results of each examination; the specialization committee shall forward this report, along with its recommendations and comments, to the chairman of the Supreme Examinations Committee for his approval.

(b) After the results of the examination have been approved, the Council shall notify each examinee of his or her examination results.

Repeat examination

24. (a) A resident who failed an examination, or any part thereof, if the examination was in two or more parts, is entitled to be re-tested at a later date, provided that s/he repeats all parts of the examination.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), a resident who has not passed the examination within 4 years of finishing his or her period of residency, whether s/he has failed or not taken the examination at all, shall not be permitted to take the examination unless granted permission to do so, under conditions determined by the Council. A resident who fails the stage 2 examination the first or second time is eligible to repeat the examination after six months; one who fails an additional time may not repeat the examination until one year after the date of the failed examination.

Confidentiality of the examination

25. Matters pertaining to the examination are confidential and one who performs any function relating to them shall not reveal anything about them unless legally obligated or allowed to do so by law.

Role and recommendations of the Council

26. (a) After a resident has passed his examinations and completed his or her term of residency, the Council shall submit to the Director a summary of the results of its findings, including examination results, and a detailed recommendation regarding the granting of a specialist’s title. The Council chairman may submit the resident’s application, along with his or her examination results, to the professional committee appointed as per regulation 8, for their opinion as to whether the resident has fulfilled all of his or her requirements according to these regulations, before the summary and recommendation are forwarded to the Director.

(b) In the event that the resident is exempt from residency according to regulation 10(a), the Council shall specify in its report the reasons for the exemption.

Reconsideration

27. If the Director disagrees with the Council’s recommendation, he shall submit his comments to the Council and request that it reconsider the matter. After such reconsideration, the Council shall submit its recommendation to the Director in two copies.

Special committee

28. If the Director continues to disagree with the Council’s recommendation even after it has reconsidered the issue, he shall forward the applicant’s request to a special committee comprised of the following members: a representative of the Director, who shall be the chairman of the committee, the Council chairman or his representative and the dean of one of the Israeli medical schools or his representative.

Submission of an application

29. A physician applying for approval of a specialist’s title (hereinafter-the candidate) shall submit to the Director, via the Council, an application in two copies; he shall attach to the application the following items:

(1)  A diploma from a university or medical school recognized by the Director, testifying to the completion of studies;

(2)  A license or valid temporary permit to practice medicine in Israel;

(3)  A certificate of completion of residency according to chapter 3, or documents testifying as to the existence of circumstances justifying exemption from the requirement to complete residency, according to regulation 10.

(4)  A residency log-book supplied by the Scientific Council at the inception of residency and in which are recorded all the periods of residency approved by the department heads and directors of hospitals in which the residency was performed, and by the chairmen of residency committees in those hospitals.

(5)  Confirmation of successful completion of all specialty examinations, as specified in chapter 5, or an exemption from the requirement to take all or some of such examinations.    

(6)  A recommendation from the head of the accredited department of the main specialty or sub-specialty, as the case may be, in which the residency was performed, as to the candidate’s being unconditionally worthy of being granted the title of specialist.

Decision of the Director

29a. (a) The Director shall not reach a decision regarding an application submitted in accordance with regulation 29 until he receives the recommendation of the Council, and if the opinion of a special committee formed as per regulation 28 is sought-until such opinion has been received.

(a1)  The Director may choose not to award a specialist’s title to a candidate, even if the Council has recommended doing so in accordance with regulation 26, if one of the following is true with regard to the candidate, and in the Director’s opinion such factor is likely to impact on the candidate’s practice as a specialist:

(1)  The applicant has been convicted in a criminal proceeding or a criminal proceeding is being conducted against him;

(2)  The Minister of Health has decided to institute disciplinary measures against him in accordance with paragraph 41 of the Ordinance, or a complaint against him is being investigated in accordance with paragraph 41 or paragraph 44a of the Ordinance.

(b) If the Director approves the title, it shall be valid from the date on which the candidate has completed all requirements listed in these regulations, or from the date on which s/he submitted an application in accordance with regulation 29, whichever is later; a certificate in which the chairman of the Council confirms the date on which all requirements were completed shall be prima facie evidence of same for the purpose of these regulations.

(c) Sub-section (b) shall apply to a title approved by the Director as of the first of December 1978 and thereafter.

Order of deliberations and activities

30. (a) The Council and other bodies referred to in these regulations shall determine their own procedures for deliberations and activities, to the extent that these have not been determined by or in accordance with legislation.

(b) The Council and the special committee established in accordance with regulation 28 may establish professional committees, request their opinions and decide what recommendations or opinions, as the case may be, are to be submitted to the Director; neither the Council nor the special committee are bound by the opinions of these professional committees.

Register

31. The Director or an individual authorized by the Director shall keep a register in which the bearers of titles and their titles are recorded.

Misrepresentation

32. (a) No individual shall use a specialist’s title unless it has been approved in accordance with these regulations; no individual shall use a similar title in such a way that it will misleadingly imply possession of one of the titles referred to in these regulations.

(b) In the event that a title is cancelled as per regulation 33, the bearer of such title shall cease using it from the date its cancellation is published in the register; if the title is suspended, the bearer of such title shall not use it as long as it remains suspended.

(c) For purposes of this regulation, “specialist title” includes any translation or abbreviation of a title as well as any other allusion to specialization in a branch of medicine.

Cancellation or suspension of a title

33. (a) The Director may cancel or suspend a title for whatever length of time he decides, if it appears that the approval for same was obtained under false pretenses or that the title holder has manifested gross negligence or inability to perform the functions required of him as holder of the given title, provided that the bearer of the title is first given the opportunity to present his objections, orally or in writing, to a committee similar in composition to the committee established as per regulation 28; if a title holder submits his objections to such a committee within 30 days of notification of intent to cancel or suspend his title, the Director shall not suspend or cancel his or her title prior to receiving the committee’s opinion.

(b) Suspension of a title shall not exceed a period of two years.

(c) If a title is cancelled, a request to restore it shall not be considered until the end of two years after the cancellation, and as long as the applicant has not proved the existence of special circumstances justifying its restoration.

(d) Notwithstanding these regulations and subject to sub-section (c), the Director may, upon recommendation of the Council, re-award a title to one whose title has been cancelled, even if the applicant has not performed residency in whole or in part in accordance with these regulations after his or her title was cancelled, or without examinations, if he or she has met the conditions fixed by the Council.

Publications

34. Notices regarding the approval, cancellation and suspension of title shall be published in the official register.

Cancellation

35. (a) The Regulations for Medical Workers (approval of the title of specialist) -1964, are hereby cancelled.

(b)  A title approved in accordance with The Regulations for Medical Workers (approval of the title of specialist) -1964 shall be considered as a title approved in accordance with these regulations.

Inception

36. (a) The inception of these regulations shall be the 30th day after their publication in the register.

(b) The bearer of a title in a main specialty received no later than 22 Nisan 5734 (14 April 1974) (in this regulation-“the determining date”), who is undergoing residency in a secondary field, is exempt from the requirement of examinations according to these regulations unless s/he began his or her residency before the determining date.

Title

37. These regulations shall be entitled “Regulations for Physicians (Approval of the Title of Specialist and Examinations), 5733-1973.”

The following is a list of approved specialties according to the Regulations

Residency Tracks