Medical education this year will see an overall revision after 36 years, announced Health Minister Dr. Seyyed Hassan Hashemi.
Greater emphasis will be placed on outpatient services for fresh graduates. So far medical science education has focused on inpatient training and internship, he said.
During the previous government’s tenure, interns were permitted to establish private practice. This divided the attention of interns, and as a result, the internship period produced low quality services for the public. “Internship must be dedicated to public service; it is not for private practice and therefore private practice for interns will be banned under the upcoming revisions,” Hashemi underlined at the 31st Radiology Congress of Iran, Alef reports.
Those who have already obtained the permit for private practice may continue till its validity; after which they are obliged to resume their internship. “Any equipment purchased for private practice can be utilized or sold to the hospitals,” Hashemi added.
Admissions
The revision will also address local selection of students for medical universities, allocating 50% of admissions to local applicants. “The policy seeks to establish doctors in places where they graduate, and avoid enforced internships which separate couples or families,” the health ministry said.
Currently, 3000 medical professionals are in public service, although the number is not adequate.
In Iran, internship is an 18-month period at the end of 7 year medical education, and should be practiced in university hospitals, after which, medical students can graduate and work independently as Medical Doctor (MD) or participate in National Comprehensive Residency Exam and continue to study in their desired specialty. If they decide to work as general practitioners, they should first do compulsory service for a period of time in underserved remote areas recognized by the health ministry.
