Uzbekistan intends to conduct a fundamental reform of the education system for medical and pharmaceutical workers. These changes are enshrined in Presidential Decree No. UP-191 dated September 10, 2026, which addresses measures for a radical improvement of the personnel training system in medicine and pharmacy.
Starting from the 2027/2028 academic year, the Ministry of Health will approve state admission standards for bachelor's programs in medical education across all specialties. The Scientific Research Center for Population Health Analysis will become the main body responsible for assessing current and projected demand for medical and pharmaceutical specialists.
Admission standards will be determined based on the needs of regions, medical institutions, and the shortage of personnel in relevant fields.
Changes in Educational Programs
From the 2027/2028 academic year, a six-year 'General Medicine' program will be introduced based on the Bachelor's degree in 'Medicine' in a '5+1' format. The final year of study will be entirely dedicated to practical training. Students already enrolled in the 'Medicine' program will continue their studies according to adapted curricula and programs.
Graduates of the 'General Medicine' program will receive the qualification of a general practitioner, allowing them to work as family doctors according to established procedures. Furthermore, a full year of practical training will be introduced in all bachelor's medical programs. For dental students, dental clinics will be assigned to medical universities.
Programs for training specialized physicians will be gradually implemented, featuring various durations of residency based on clinical residency, aligning with international standards. Training will take place in state medical educational institutions and medical institutes, funded by state grants.
Starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, residency in 'Family Medicine' will begin, graduates of which will receive the specialty of family doctor. From the 2027/2028 academic year, the training of specialized physicians will fully transition to the residency format.
Admission to clinical residency will cease, and funds freed up by reducing admission quotas for master's programs in narrow medical specialties under the general state order will be redirected to residency training.
Residents admitted through state grants will receive a monthly allowance from the State Budget equal to 2.15 times the minimum wage. Graduates will receive diplomas corresponding to the state standard and Level 7 of the International Standard Classification of Education and the National Qualifications Framework.
Restrictions and New Opportunities in Education
Starting from the 2027/2028 academic year, primary and additional specialization in narrow medical fields will be conducted exclusively through residency. Concurrently, admission quotas for master's programs will be reduced to 20% of the previous level, and the training of specialized physicians through master's programs will be discontinued.
Nevertheless, admission to master's programs will be permitted for individuals with higher education who do not hold a specialized degree but possess education in related fields. Master's programs will focus on training scientific, pedagogical, and managerial personnel, while for individuals without a specialized degree, they will be limited to training research staff.
Non-state medical and educational organizations will be able to provide residency services at their own expense, taking into account the need for specialized personnel.
Family medicine residents will undergo training and practical preparation in family clinics designated by the Ministry of Health to medical universities. Medical services in these clinics will be provided by both teaching staff and residents.
Knowledge Requirements and New Directions
The decree also establishes new requirements for training and knowledge assessment. Starting from the 2027/2028 academic year, the minimum admission threshold for bachelor's programs in medicine and pharmacy will be 60% of the maximum entrance exam score, including targeted enrollment.
Beginning from the 2026/2027 academic year, the minimum passing score for every academic module in bachelor's, master's, and residency programs, as well as for state exams, will be 70% for medical specialties and 60% for mid-level medical personnel specialties.
Additional specialization in narrow medical fields through short-term courses and retraining programs will be abolished, and admission to primary targeted specialization courses (internship) will cease.
From the 2027/2028 academic year, the specialty 'Medical Support' will be introduced based on the professional specialty 'Nursing,' and the bachelor's program 'Higher Nursing' will be replaced by the bachelor's direction 'Higher Medical Support.' Women will receive the qualification of a nurse, and men will receive the qualification of a male nurse.
State admission quotas for the bachelor's program 'Higher Medical Support' will increase by at least 20% annually until the 2030/2031 academic year.
Starting from the 2027/2028 academic year, admission to two-year programs for training mid-level medical personnel will also cease.
Joint educational programs with foreign universities are planned for the bachelor's program 'Higher Medical Support.' A master's program will be launched to train scientific and pedagogical personnel in the specialty 'Medical Support.'
Financial Benefits and Specialist Registration
Starting January 1, 2027, medical, pharmaceutical, and teaching staff will begin receiving monthly bonuses to their basic tariff rates or official salaries. Nurses and male nurses with a bachelor's degree will receive a bonus equivalent to one minimum wage, and master's students will receive a bonus equivalent to two minimum wages. Family doctors who have completed residency in family medicine, as well as teachers who have graduated from a master's program in this field, will receive a bonus equivalent to four minimum wages.
A separate Presidential Decree No. UP-192 dated September 10, 2026, introduces a state registration system for medical and pharmaceutical workers. This system will be implemented in stages, starting July 1, 2027. Registration will apply to specialists in fields included in the nomenclature of medical and pharmaceutical activities.
The Ministry of Health will determine the list of specialties for which registration requires a special exam or will be conducted without one, based on the level of influence of the workers on patients.
For this purpose, a Unified Electronic Register of Medical and Pharmaceutical Specialists will be created. It will ensure state registration, monitoring of professional activity, and free access to relevant information.
Until 2030, registration will be voluntary and valid for five years, based either on the results of a special exam or automatically upon assignment of qualifications categories.
Starting from 2030, the right to practice medicine and pharmacy will only be granted to registered specialists for a period of five years. Working without state registration will be prohibited, and the practice of assigning qualifications categories to medical and pharmaceutical workers will be abolished.
Categories awarded before 2030 will remain valid until the expiration of the established term. Corresponding bonuses and rights associated with the position will also be maintained for the relevant period.
Current specialists who require a special exam can obtain temporary registration for one year if they fail to pass the exam, provided they pass it within this period and continue their professional activity.
Specialists who have not worked continuously in their specialty for three years or more after registration can return to professional practice after successfully completing advanced training courses and re-registering with the state.
Medical and pharmaceutical workers with at least 20 years of experience in the relevant specialty and holding an academic degree will be registered without undergoing a special exam.
