Dozens of cardiologists may have skipped internal medicine training, falsified records - report

Dozens of doctors at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot may have bypassed crucial stages of their training, according to a special review committee from the Israeli Medical Association's Scientific Council. The committee investigated allegations that residency logs were falsified, allowing cardiology residents to meet requirements on paper without completing the necessary internal medicine training.

Professor Kobi George, head of the cardiology department, reportedly guided and supervised these alleged falsifications, aiming to alleviate a perceived manpower shortage. Channel 13 reported that these actions have raised significant concerns regarding patient safety and the overall quality of medical care, as doctors might have received specialist certification without the full requisite training.

“

All residents and specialists in cardiology underwent the required clinical, theoretical, and research training and gained the necessary experience to fully meet all residency requirements. A significant portion of graduates of the training program successfully passed certification exams, and the doctors currently serve as full-fledged specialists.

Following the committee's findings, the Scientific Council's presidency recommended barring Professor George permanently from managing residency training departments. They also suggested revoking the cardiology department's status as an approved residency training site while George remains on staff. The internal medicine department received "conditional recognition" for six months, and its head, Dr. Hefziba Green, was recommended to be barred from independently signing residency documents for three years.

Professor George has rejected the allegations, calling the council's recommendations incorrect and improperly reached. He asserted that all residents and specialists completed the required clinical, theoretical, and research training, meeting all residency requirements and passing certification exams. George also noted that the Health Ministry, the sole authority for implementing such recommendations, had not made a binding decision.

“

All residents and specialists in cardiology underwent the required clinical, theoretical, and research training and gained the necessary experience to fully meet all residency requirements. A significant portion of graduates of the training program successfully passed certification exams, and the doctors currently serve as full-fledged specialists.