Analyzing Systemic Challenges in General Medical Clinical Education and Policy Solutions

Abstract

Clinical education, as a decisive stage in the training of general practitioners, is responsible for transferring theoretical knowledge to practical skills and shaping professional competencies; however, the general medical education system in Iran faces several structural challenges that lead to a significant gap between theoretical learning and clinical performance of graduates. These challenges are rooted in multidimensional factors, including resource management, educational policymaking, curriculum content, and the culture of learning environments. To overcome the challenges, it is recommended to focus on an integrated policy package; in this regard, the proposed solutions are presented in three axes: In the short term, it is essential to ensure the psychological and economic security of students through the implementation of a professional ethics charter with executive guarantees and the design of targeted financial support packages. In the intermediate step, redesigning the human resource structure and educational culture by separating the educational role of medical students from the service role, institutionalizing evidence-based medicine (EBM), and establishing a continuous and transparent evaluation system should be considered. In the long term, redefining the content and location of education by increasing the share of public (non-super specialty) environments and fundamentally revising the syllabus with a case-based approach based on the most common health needs of the community will play a role in increasing the efficiency of clinical education in the health system. Finally, for the successful implementation of these solutions, it is necessary to act in a cross-sectoral manner with the active participation of all stakeholders, including students, professors, managers, and policymakers, and to adopt a continuous and evidence-based approach. © 2026, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.