A report on medical education in Iran

The development of Medical Education in Iran

“…After passing the examinations, students entered medical school directly without interview. Approximately ten applicants entered a medical school in every academic year 3 …”

“…Until 1979, the undergraduate programme for medical teaching in Iran was entirely traditional and was uniform throughout the country. 3 The undergraduate course usually lasted 6 years, except at Shiraz and Tehran, where it lasted 7 years, and was in two parts, basic medical sciences occupying the first 2 to 3 years and clinical sciences the remaining years. Teaching was discipline‐based and markedly teacher‐centred.…”

“…After the Arabs conquered Iran, the official religion became Islam and the medical language shifted to Arabic. The Board of Medical Examiners was established in 931 A.D., and around this time 860 physicians applied for a certificate to practice medicine 3 …”

“…There were mobile dispensaries in villages, and veterinary hospitals. Preventative social medicine was taught, especially with regard to plague and cholera 3 . In 1910, the Medical Registration Act ruled that medical practice was limited to physicians who graduated from accredited medical schools and who completed the examinations satisfactorily.…”

The Long and Winding Road

“…So what is the bottom line ? Well, I think high school graduates should be well briefed with these issues via guidance counselors before they decide to hit the road (Figure 1)(2-4). …”