A National Consensus-Based Framework for the Future of Medical Education in Türkiye: Goals for the Republic's Second Century

The quality of a doctor's training is the foundation upon which the health of a nation rests. When medical schools teach effectively, they produce physicians who can navigate complex illnesses, treat patients with compassion, and adapt to new scientific discoveries. However, the world of medicine is changing faster than ever before. Diseases are evolving, populations are aging, and the tools available to heal are becoming more sophisticated. In this shifting landscape, the old ways of teaching doctors often fall short. The challenge is not just to teach facts, but to shape professionals who are socially responsible, ethically grounded, and ready to serve communities that are often overlooked. This is the central question facing medical educators today: how do we redesign the training of future doctors so that it matches the urgent needs of society?

In Turkey, this question has taken on a particular urgency. The country currently hosts 128 medical schools, the highest number in any European nation. While this expansion has increased access to medical education, it has also raised serious concerns about whether there are enough qualified teachers, sufficient clinical training sites, and the right infrastructure to maintain high standards. For years, various groups have tried to improve the system, but there was no single, agreed-upon set of goals that everyone—from university leaders to students—could rally behind. To fill this gap, a team of researchers and educators launched a national initiative to create a shared vision for the future of medical education in Turkey, specifically designed to guide the country through its second century as a republic.

The process began by listening to the people who live and work within the system every day. Between 2021 and 2022, the Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Medical Education Programmes, known as TEPDAD, led a four-step effort to gather insights. First, they identified the most pressing issues through discussions with national boards and at large medical conferences. Next, they sent an open-ended online survey to 85 key stakeholders, including medical school deans, faculty members, and students. These participants were asked to describe the most important changes they expected, how ready Turkish schools were for those changes, and what goals were necessary for a high-quality education. The researchers analyzed these written responses to find common themes, revealing a strong desire for structural reform and a greater focus on social responsibility.

To turn these themes into a concrete plan, the team organized a structured workshop in August 2022. Forty participants, representing a mix of students, doctors, researchers, and community members, gathered to brainstorm the future. They worked in small groups to generate ideas, eventually producing 54 distinct goals. Through careful discussion and consolidation, the group narrowed these down to ten overarching goals that would serve as the pillars for the new framework. This final set of goals was then shared at national conferences to gather further feedback before being officially adopted. The result is a living document that does not dictate rigid rules but offers a clear direction for how medical education should evolve.

The ten goals identified cover every aspect of training a doctor, from the classroom to the community. The first goal focuses on continuous quality improvement, urging schools to build systems that constantly check and enhance their standards. The second goal introduces a concept that is becoming vital worldwide: nature- and human-centered education. This means teaching future doctors to understand the connection between the environment, climate change, and human health, ensuring they are prepared to treat the health impacts of a warming planet. The third goal emphasizes social accountability, which is the idea that medical schools have a duty to address the specific health needs of the communities they serve, rather than just following a generic curriculum.

The framework also calls for a shift in how students learn. Goal four advocates for "lean" and real-life programs, which strip away unnecessary content to focus on what students actually need to know, using their own life experiences as a teaching tool. Goal five addresses the leadership within these institutions, calling for governance based on merit and transparency rather than seniority or political connections. As technology becomes more integrated into healthcare, goal six ensures that tools like artificial intelligence and digital health are used rationally and ethically, serving humanity rather than replacing human judgment.

The well-being of those in the system is also a priority. Goal seven seeks to create healthy learning environments where students and staff are safe from harassment and violence, recognizing that a stressed learner cannot become a compassionate healer. Goal eight pushes for interprofessional collaboration, training doctors to work alongside nurses, pharmacists, and other health workers as a team. Goal nine ensures that learning never stops, supporting lifelong professional development for everyone involved in medicine. Finally, goal ten champions open and ethical science, demanding that research be conducted with integrity and shared openly to combat misinformation and build public trust.

This framework is not a final solution but a roadmap. The authors acknowledge that the process had limitations, such as the fact that many participants were already connected to specific professional networks, which might have influenced the range of views heard. They also note that the rapid pace of technological change, particularly in artificial intelligence, means the goals may need to be revisited soon. However, the study provides a rare example of a national consensus, built from the ground up by those who know the system best. By aligning the training of future physicians with the realities of society and the needs of the planet, this framework offers a clear path forward for Turkish medical education, one that could serve as a reference for other nations facing similar challenges.