The necessity of launching Ph.D. to MD course in Iran: Updated evidence,, benefits,, and cost-effectiveness

Document Type : Letter to editor

Authors

1 Department of Medical Genetics and molecular medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

2 2. Assistant Professor in Clinical Nutrition, Health Sciences Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran

3 Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

4 Ph.D. in Medical Immunology, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aims: Considering the difference in the nature of the educational programs of medical doctor (MD) courses and Ph.D. in basic medical sciences and the many questions raised in this regard, in relation to the previous article published in this journal, the purpose of this study was updating the evidence, the benefit of the plan for the country and also the cost effectiveness of the implementation of this proposed program.
Materials and Methods:
Based on our search, the related articles in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science databases, and also Google Scholar search engine between 1960 and 2022 using the keywords “Ph.D.” and “MD” or “Ph.D. to MD” and in combination with the “Curriculum” or “Program” or “Course” and also the websites of the universities that hold this course were searched.
Results: The results showed that the benefits of this plan for the country include strengthening the relationship between basic and clinical sciences and increasing the quality of the medical science education. On the other hand, due to the low number of Medical Doctors in Iran, this plan will help to compensate for this shortage in the short term, and additionally, it will prevent the migration of elites of basic medical sciences in the country.
Conclusion: Considering our country's current medical education conditions, it seems necessary to start a Ph.D. to MD course in the form of a 4-year course.

Keywords

References

1. Safari S, Safari E, Sarmadi M, Farajollahi M. The investigation of strategic planning models of universities (a case study: Iran’s Higher education). 2016 .
2. Vahid Dastjerdi L, Nilforooshan P. Work Hope: The Role of Personal and Social Factors and Family Support. Positive Psychology Research. 2016;1(4):15-28 .
3. Pahlavani N, Rafatpanah H, Ajami N, Sadeghi O, Mahaki B, Emadzadeh A, et al. Ph. D. to MD Course around the world; Necessities, Evidence, and Suggested Curriculum in Iran. Navid No. 2020;22(72):55-63 .
4.Raymond JR, Sr., Kerschner JE, Hueston WJ, Maurana CA. The Merits and Challenges of Three-Year Medical School Curricula: Time for an Evidence-Based Discussion. Acad Med. 2015;90(10):1318-23 .
5.Stetten D. Projected Changes in Medical School Curriculum. Science. 1971;174(4016):1303-6 .
6. Awad WM, Harrington WJ, Papper EM. The Ph.D. to M.D. Program. New England Journal of Medicine. 1979;301(16):863
7. Koniaris LG, Cheung MC, Garrison G, Awad WM, Jr., Zimmers TA. Perspective: PhD scientists completing medical school in two years: looking at the Miami PhD-to-MD program alumni twenty years later. Acad Med. 2010;85(4):687-91 .
8. Pahlavani N, Sedaghat A, Moghaddam AB, Kiapey SSM, Navashenaq JG, Jarahi L, et al. Effects of propolis and melatonin on oxidative stress, inflammation, and clinical status in patients with primary sepsis: Study protocol and review on previous studies. Clinical nutrition ESPEN. 2019;33:125-31 .
9.Ebrahimi F, Aryaeian N, Pahlavani N, Abbasi D, Hosseini AF, Fallah S, et al. The effect of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) supplementation on blood pressure, and renal and liver function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Avicenna
journal of phytomedicine. 2019;9(4):322 .
10. Pahlavani N, Malekahmadi M, Firouzi S, Rostami D, Sedaghat A, Moghaddam AB, et al. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of the effects of Propolis in inflammation, oxidative stress and glycemic control in chronic diseases. Nutrition & metabolism. 2020;17(1):1-12.
11. Chung CP, Oeser A, Solus JF, Gebretsadik T, Shintani A, Avalos I, et al. Inflammation‐ associated insulin resistance: differential effects in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus
erythematosus define potential mechanisms. Arthritis & Rheumatism: Official Journal of the
American College of Rheumatology. 2008;58(7):2105-12 .
12. Hu Y, Costenbader KH, Gao X, Hu FB, Karlson EW, Lu B. Mediterranean diet and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in women. Arthritis care & research. 2015;67(5):597-606 
Navid No
Volume 25, Issue 84
March 2023
Pages 1-6

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics