[Effect of internship on the Israeli medical graduate]

We interviewed medical school graduates, both prior to and on completion of their year of internship, to assess what impact it had had on their choice of career and to judge whether or not their expectations for their internship had been fulfilled. 25% of the graduates had been unsure of their residency plans before starting internship, while only 13.7% were unsure at the end. Surgery proved to be the most popular field, with 30% choosing it before the internship and 34% at the end. Initially, 72% of the graduates wanted to go abroad to specialize, but only 42% at the end of the year, and only 20% actively explored the option. The internship is an important aid for clarifying professional goals and bridging the gap between the medical graduate's expectations and the realities of medical practice.