A large-scale reform of the higher medical education system has begun in Uzbekistan. The specialty 'General Medicine' is being transformed into a six-year program called 'General Medicine,' which will be structured on a 5+1 model, involving five years of study followed by one year of clinical practice.
According to information provided by the Ministry of Health press service, unified criteria are being established for mastering educational courses. The minimum passing score for admission to medical specialties must be 70%, while the threshold for training mid-level medical personnel is set at 60%. Admission to paid contract education will be possible if enrollment reaches at least 60% of the maximum possible score.
The parameters for admission to bachelor's programs will be based on the actual needs of the healthcare system. Medical educational institutions will be required to have either their own or affiliated clinical bases. Furthermore, principles of evidence-based medicine and training in specialized simulation centers will be integrated into the educational process.
Starting from the 2027/2028 academic year, all training for narrow-specialty doctors will be conducted exclusively through residency, and admission to clinical residency will be discontinued. Master's programs will lose their status as a stage for training narrow specialists and will focus solely on training scientific and pedagogical staff.
Residency funding will be provided by a state grant. Participation quotas will be approved taking into account staff shortages and the needs of individual regions. Residents are guaranteed an increased stipend amounting to 2.15 times the minimum wage, and graduates will receive a Level 7 diploma of the National Qualifications Framework with the possibility of further doctoral studies.
Previously, there was a report about plans to introduce mandatory state registration for medical and pharmaceutical workers in Uzbekistan starting in 2030. In the future, specialists who do not pass this registration will not be able to work in the medical or pharmaceutical fields.