Abbas-Ali Raees-Karami, the president of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, announced a decline in interest among applicants for six core and subspecialty medical fields and warned that the absence of candidates in these fundamental disciplines poses a serious challenge to Iran’s healthcare system.
On July 7, Raees-Karami stated that demand has dropped for six key fields: obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, internal medicine, general surgery, anesthesiology, and emergency medicine—all considered foundational medical specialties.
Growing Wave of Professor Migration Poses Serious Challenge To Iran’s Scientific Future
He warned that the admission of only one pediatrics resident in Khuzestan province for the current academic year signals a looming shortage of pediatric specialists in the region within the next three years.
Discrimination, Pressure, Emigration: Mounting Crisis in Iran’s Medical Community
In January 2025, Jalil Hosseini, Deputy Minister of Education at the Ministry of Health, criticized the quota system in Iran’s university entrance exams, warning that such discriminatory admissions have demoralized many students.
Mostafa Moein, who served as Minister of Science under former president Mohammad Khatami, stated in October 2024 that 75% of medical students at the University of Tehran are admitted through quotas. He said: “On what basis are they studying medicine when they enter with a rank of 100,000, while our gifted and talented students with top-100 scores can’t get in?”
In June 2023, the state-run daily Farhikhtegan reported that 6,500 doctors, including 2,300 specialists, had emigrated from Iran in 2022—30% more than the average annual intake of new doctors at Iranian universities.
The term “quota” refers to individuals who, despite having very low entrance exam rankings, are admitted to top university programs. These individuals are typically affiliated with the regime or its institutions.
According to a March 2024 report from Iran’s Migration Observatory, half of Iranian doctors are considering emigration.
Surge in Suicides Among Medical Professionals
In May 2024, Iraj Khosronia, head of the Iranian Society of Internal Medicine Specialists, issued a warning to health authorities over the consequences of creating obstacles for medical professionals.
He cited a rise in suicides and emigration among doctors and nurses as outcomes of the mounting pressure placed on the medical community.
Khosronia said that the medical community is in a state of “acute distress and anxiety.” He added that officials and members of Majlis (parliament) have not only forgotten the vital role of healthcare workers but have continuously passed restrictive laws that corner medical personnel and force them to either quit or emigrate.
The issue of suicides among physicians and medical residents in Iran has become a crisis in the country’s healthcare system. In 2024 alone, at least 16 residents ended their lives by suicide.
