The MSR Course
A four-day advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) course — mandatory for everyone starting internship in Israel, held at the Israel Center for Medical Simulation (MSR) at Sheba.
What is MSR?
MSR is the Israel Center for Medical Simulation at Sheba Medical Center. "MSR" is also the common name for the four-day advanced resuscitation (ACLS) course held there — a mandatory course every intern must pass before starting work on the ward. It combines classroom learning, hands-on practice on simulation manikins, a written test and a practical exam.
Before the course: the Moodle tasks
To be admitted to MSR you must first complete preparation tasks in the Moodle system. Complete them in order:
- 1
Go to moodle.msr.org.il and log in with your username and password.
- 2
Click "My courses" (הקורסים שלי).
- 3
Open the "Pre-tasks – preparation for internship" section (מטלות קדם – הכנה לסטאז').
- 4
Complete the tasks marked as mandatory. Each task you finish turns green.
- 5
When everything is green, the "Task completion approval" section (השלמת אישור המטלות) unlocks and your admission to MSR is approved.
How the course runs
The course runs for four days at Sheba. Here is what matters most:
Each day starts with teaching, then practice — each participant takes the role of "team leader" (מנהל) and runs a resuscitation scenario (all scenarios are in the ACLS document).
You collect signatures — at least two — confirming you passed stations. They are required to get credit for the course.
Tip: don't rush to get a signature on day one — sometimes it isn't counted, and it gets easier to earn signatures toward the end of the course.
Important: don't lose the signature sheet — you must hand it in at the end of the course.
The written test
On the second-to-last day: a 30-question test, passing score 70.
By experience, about 5–7 questions each year are new and haven't appeared before.
You may retake it only once — the next day, before the practical exam (two attempts in total).
The practical exam
On the last day — the most stressful and important day.
You enter a room with a simulation manikin on a bed connected to a monitor, and a person recording your performance.
The examiner asks which ECG you see on the monitor and which protocol to follow, may ask protocol questions or instruct you to "start resuscitation".
Most important: know two scenarios well (at least one or two ECGs) but demonstrate resuscitation skill 100%.
If you answer well, two minutes are enough; if not, it can drag out to 10–15 minutes.
The final result comes only at the end of the day — around 17:00, after MSR has finished. If you fail, the retake is in 2–3 weeks.
Common mistakes that fail you
Watch out for these especially — they seem minor but fail you on the exam:
Not actually connecting oxygen — putting on the mask without opening the oxygen flow is a mistake.
Not measuring the intubation tube — a properly sized tube reaches from the corner of the mouth to the earlobe.
Not removing the pillow from under the head during resuscitation.
Not placing a backboard (resuscitation board) under the body during compressions.
Wrong compression rhythm — count out loud or ask someone to count for you.
The ECG rhythms you're tested on
The exam scenarios use the following rhythms. It's worth being able to recognise each at a glance:
Vocabulary — resuscitation
Useful resuscitation terms in Hebrew, English, Russian and Arabic.
| עברית | English | Русский | العربية |
|---|---|---|---|
| עורק | artery | Артерия | شريان |
| וריד | vein | Вена | وريد |
| חדר | ventricle | Желудочек | بطين |
| עליית הלב | atrium | Предсердие | أذين |
| העורקים הכליליים | coronary arteries | Коронарные артерии | الشرايين التاجية |
| ציוד | equipment | Набор | معدات |
| עגלת החייאה | crash cart | Реанимационная тележка | عربة الإنعاش |
| כפות (דפיברילטור) | paddles | Ложки (дефибриллятора) | مجاديف |
| מדבקות | stickers | Наклейки | ملصقات |
| קרש גב | reanimation board | Реанимационная доска | لوح الإنعاش |
| מנתב אוויר | airway | Воздуховод | مجرى الهواء |
| חמצן | oxygen | Кислород | أكسجين |
This information is gathered from interns’ experience and is for guidance only. Details such as the exam format, number of questions and timing may change from year to year — verify with the official sources. Last reviewed: July 2026.