Doctors to study under new system: what will change in medical training in Kazakhstan
Six specialties after internship
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare is proposing changes to educational programs in medical and pharmaceutical specialties. The changes are planned to take effect from the 2027 academic year.
According to the document, the new doctor training system would include five to six years of basic medical education followed by one year of internship. In total, bachelor’s-level medical education and internship would take six to seven years.
The authors of the draft say that after completing their internship, graduates would be able to qualify as doctors in six clinical specialties:
internal medicine;
pediatrics;
general practice;
surgery;
obstetrics and gynecology;
pediatric surgery.
“Graduates will have the right to work in outpatient and primary care organizations at all levels, as well as in medical organizations located in district-level regions and single-industry towns,” the draft order states.
The Ministry of Healthcare believes this will help address the shortage of doctors in the regions.
According to the document, the main change will concern internship itself. It is proposed to turn it into clinical practice in which graduates work under the constant supervision of a mentor and with a clearly defined level of responsibility.
At the same time, interns would follow a work schedule similar to that of doctors and have access to digital medical systems.
70 academic credits and artificial intelligence
The draft also provides for updates to educational programs for future doctors. These changes are aimed at strengthening preparation for work in primary healthcare and rural medicine.
More attention will be paid to digital skills, including the use of artificial intelligence, as well as practical training. The internship workload would be increased to 70 academic credits.
Note: In Kazakhstan, one academic credit is equal to 30 academic hours, while one academic hour is 50 minutes. Therefore, 70 academic credits amount to 2,100 academic hours of study.
After completing basic training, students will undergo an assessment of their knowledge and skills. The Ministry of Healthcare also plans to develop the mentoring system.
Why the doctor training system is being changed
The Ministry of Healthcare expects that more extensive practical training will help future doctors better develop the clinical competencies required to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases.
In particular, the changes are expected to reduce the risk of clinical errors in areas such as surgery, pediatrics and obstetrics.
The authors of the draft expect the new model to link internship and residency into a single educational system. Graduates would be able to continue training in their chosen specialty without having to repeat basic competencies they have already acquired.
The proposed changes are planned to take effect from the 2027 academic year, giving medical education institutions time to update their programs and prepare for the new system.
Public discussion of the draft order will continue until September 3, 2026.