Introduction With a long and storied history, going back as far as the ancient Persia, Medicine has always been one of the top academic disciplines and respected professions in Iran. As of 2022, Iran has over 340,000 active general practitioners, 116,000 of which have a Certificate of Good Standing. As a result of a notoriously difficult admission rate, rigorous curriculums that’d make most weep, and high standards of work to maintain, MD graduates in Iran are highly recognized, respected, and sought after all over the world. On this page, you will find some information regarding the conditions of General Medical Practice and its job market in Iran to gain a better understanding about Practitioners currently working in the country.
Education Approximately 5,000 people are selected into medicine annually from about 400,000 applicants, and around 4,000 students graduate as Doctors of Medicine per year. After completion of the National Entrance Examination, based on their rank, the students will choose between the universities they’ve been accepted to and start their medical education. Medical training at the level of undergraduate takes around 7 years, at the end of which the students are awarded an MD. The program structure is as follows:
• 2 years of Basic Science Training with an examination at the end. Passing this exam is required to proceed to the next level.
• 3.5 years of Clinical Training (theoretical training and hospital placements) with a “Pre-Internship Examination” at the end. Passing this exam is required to proceed to the internship level.
• 18 months of Internship, including a mandatory research dissertation to be submitted.
Medical students are assigned to specialized hospital wards where they care for patients and are supervised by board-certified faculty specialists who provide role modeling and expertise in providing patient care. After finishing all stages and submitting dissertation, the students are awarded a MD. Practicing in Iran, however, requires registering and officially obtaining a License to Practice from the Iranian Medical Council (IRMC). This license will be issued after enrolling in Government Service, which includes military service for Men, and practicing in pre-determined remote areas (required for both men and women) for up to 2 years. After completing these service, General Practitioners are able to work in their own private offices.
Practice The License number received by the IRIMC has validity all over Iran, meaning the registered doctors are able to practice medicine across the country without any issues. Upon registration, the doctors are granted a Membership Card and have to pay an annual membership to retain their statuses an active member. Before registration, each doctor’s identity and qualification are carefully checked by IRIMC. The IRIMC also consistently updates members’ records to ensure accurate and updated information. IRIMC requires Relicensing every 5 years for all registered doctors, for which they must provide prove they have successfully completed CPD courses (25 CPD credits per year) held by IRIMC or other accredited medical organizations. In addition, each doctor has to continuously show their fitness for practice, ability to provide a good level of care, and up-to-date information. IRIMC directly oversees the members’ practice to ensure good quality of work, taking action if certain standards aren’t met. The organization has full authority to issue warnings, suspend, remove, or set conditions upon registration for practitioners. Iranian Medical Council is also in charge of issuing the Certificate of Good Standing (CGS) or Certificate of Professional Conduct, on request and based on assessment of disciplinary records, in a signed and sealed envelope for active registered members to be sent to other licensing or regulatory authorities.
Notable Universities There are 39 medical universities training doctors in Iran under the auspices of the Ministry, as well as a large number of private medical schools (80), all of which are registered with the Iranian Medical Council.
- Mashhad University of Medical Sciences
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences
- Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
- Iran University of Medical Sciences
- Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
- Ahvaz Jondishapur University of Medical Sciences
- Isfahan University of Medical Sciences
- Zahedan University of Medical Sciences
- Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
- Hamedan University of Medical Sciences
Notable Hospitals
- Bahman Hospital
- Razavi Hospital
- Shahid Sadooghi Hospital
- Erfan Hospital
- Jam Hospital
- Tehran Hospital
- Pars Hospital
- Parsian Hotel
- Imam Reza Hospital
- Milad Hospital