Integrating Histoty of Medicine into Iran's Medical Education Curriculum: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Necessities, Challenges and Implementation Strategies
Tārīkh-i pizishkī i.e., Medical History,
Vol. 17 (1404),
6 May 2025
,
Page 1-13
https://doi.org/10.22037/mhj.v17i.49001
Abstract
Background and Aim: Medical history as an interdisciplinary field, despite its well-established position in advanced educational systems, has failed to attain an appropriate status in the curricula of medical sciences disciplines in Iran. This research aimed to analyze the necessities, challenges and implementation strategies for integrating medical history into Iran's medical education curriculum, as well as to conduct a comparative analysis with global experiences.
Methods: This qualitative study employed a documentary-library research method with a descriptive-analytical approach. Data were collected from different academic sources (including articles, specialized books and official documents) in national and international databases and were analyzed.
Ethical Considerations: The principles of research ethics, including authenticity of texts, academic honesty and meticulous citation, were strictly observed. All documentation was presented with precise references and respect for authors' rights.
Results: The study revealed that medical history education in Iran faces structural, content-related and attitudinal challenges. The main obstacles include the dominance of biomedical perspectives, shortage of specialized human resources, resistance to curriculum changes and lack of student motivation. In contrast, successful experiences from countries such as the United States (featuring compulsory medical history courses and longitudinal integration model during clinical rotations) and South Korea (with 80 years of teaching this subject) demonstrate its positive impact on developing physicians' professional competencies. Although Iran established the medical history discipline in 2013, its integration into general medical education curricula remains limited.
Conclusion: The institutionalization of medical history education in Iran requires implementing multi-level strategies including: 1- revising educational policies; 2- training specialized instructors; 3- designing integrated curricula; 4- developing indigenous learning resources. The study recommends taking practical steps toward curriculum integration by adapting successful global models while considering the principles of Iranian-Islamic hikmah.
- History of Medicine
- Medical Education
- Curriculum Planning
- Localization of Education
How to Cite
References
Caramiciu J, Arcella D, Desai MS. History of medicine in US medical school curricula. Journal of Anesthesia History. 2015; 1(4): 111-114.
Ludmerer KM. The history of medicine in medical education. Journal of the history of medicine and allied sciences. 2015; 70(4): 656-660.
Biryukova N, Litvinova T, Nesterova N, Ognev Y, Galuzina I. Transdisciplinary integration through the study of the history of medicine. Journal of Advanced Pharmacy Education and Research. 2021; 11(3): 15-19.
Jones DS, Greene JA, Duffin J, Harley Warner J. Making the case for history in medical education. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. 2015; 70(4): 623-652.
Kent L, Ward PJ. Investigating the Presence of the History of Medicine in North American Medical Education: Can One of the Medical Humanities Concisely Integrate with Biomedical and Clinical Content with Reference to Clinical Competencies? Medical Science Educator. 2020; 30: 1531-1539.
Sheard S. Developing history of medicine in the University of Liverpool medical curriculum 1995-2005. Medical Education. 2006; 40(10): 1045-1052.
Lee ST, Youn BI. Education of History of Medicine for 80 Years: History and Current Status in Republic of Korea. Korean Journal of Medical History. 2023; 32(1): 147-174.
Moeini M, Kolahdouzaneini A. The Role of Humanities Education in Medical Students’ Curriculum. Journal of Higher Education Curriculum Studies. 2024; 14(28): 125-141. [Persian]
Barr J, Ingold R, Baker JP. History of medicine in the clerkships: a novel model for integrating medicine and history. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. 2023; 78(1): 62-70.
Stahnisch FW. Making medical history relevant to medical students: The first fifty years of the Calgary history of medicine program and history of medicine days conferences. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. 2023; 78(1): 83-100.
Armocida E, Nicoli Aldini N, Bussolati O. How Do Students Approach the Study of the History of Medicine? Some Considerations after the Final Exams at the First Year and Fourth Year. Acta Biomed. 2021; 92(2): e2021167.
Hwang SI, Seo HG. On the education of the history of medicine in the Korean medical schools. Korean Journal of Medical History. 1995; 4(1): 85-98.
Park S. How to teach history of medicine at medical school: period, structure and teaching methods. Korean Journal of Medical History. 2023; 32(2): 595-621.
Browne E. The book Constitutionalism in Iran. Tehran: Kavir Publications; 1997. p.1266-127. [Persian]
World Health Organization. The promotion and development of traditional medicine. Geneva: WHO; 1978. Report No.622.
World Health Organization. WHO Traditional medicine strategy: 2002-2005. Geneva: WHO; 2002. p.1-3.
Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Approval of Traditional Medicine discipline [Internet]. Tehran: MOHME; 2006. Cited Jul 12, 2025. Available at: https://www.behdasht.gov.ir. [Persian]
Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Approval of History of Medical Sciences discipline [Internet]. Tehran: MOHME; 2013. Cited Jul 12, 2025. Available at: http://www.stm.iums.ac.ir. [Persian]
Tārīkh-i pizishkī [Internet]. Tehran: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Cited Jul 12, 2025. Available at: https://www.journals.sbmu.ac.ir/mh. [Persian]
Journal of Research on History of Medicine [Internet]. Shiraz: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Cited Jul 12, 2025. Available at: http://www.rhm.sums.ac.ir. [Persian]
Smart University of Medical Sciences. Introduction to Iranian Traditional and Complementary Medicine Course [Internet]. 2023. Cited Jul 12, 2025. Available at: https://www.smums.ac.ir/%D9%85%D8%B9%D8 %B1%D9%81%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%B 3-%D8%B7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1 %D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D9%85% DA%A9%D9%85%D9%84. [Persian]
Iran University of Medical Sciences. Introduction to Principles of Iranian Traditional and Complementary Medicine Course for Medical Students (June 2025) [Internet]. Tehran: IUMS; 2025. Cited Jul 12, 2025. Available at: https://www.stm.iums.ac.ir/%D8%A7% D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8 %A7%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C%D9%87-%D9%87%D8%A7/%D8%AF%D8%B1% D8%B3-%D8%A2%D8%B4%D9%86%D8%A7%DB %8C%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D9%85%D8% A8%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%B7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D9%85%DA%A9%D9%85%D9% 84-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A F%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%AC%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%BE%D8%B2%D 8%B4%DA%A9%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D 8%AE%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9 %85%D8%A7%D9%87-1404. [Persian]
Shok NP, Sergeeva MS. The history of medicine as an academic discipline: Traditions in clinical medical education and modern teaching methods. History of Medicine. 2016; 3(1): 37-54.
Komilov N. Contemporary approaches to teaching the history of medicine in higher medical education institutions and their evaluation. Modern Scientific Research International Scientific Journal. 2025; 1: 41-45.
Kushner HI. Medical historians and the history of medicine. The Lancet. 2008; 372(9640): 710-711.
Bryan CS, Longo LD. Perspective: teaching and mentoring the history of medicine: An Oslerian perspective. Academic Medicine. 2013; 88(1): 97-101.
Kwon I. The Value of Medical Humanities in Medical Education: Focusing on the History of Medicine. Ui Sahak. 2022; 31(3): 495-517.
Ruiz JG, Mintzer MJ, Leipzig RM. Blended learning in medical history education: Evidence-based principles and practices. Academic Medicine. 2021; 96(2): 243-251.
Knoeff R, van Zuylen W, Huisman F. Simulating medical history: A practical guide to using historical case studies in medical education. Medical History. 2020; 64(3): 345-362.
Guckian J, Utukuri M, Asif A, Burton O, Adeyoju J, Oumeziane A, et al. Social media in undergraduate medical education: A systematic review. Medical Education. 2021; 55(11): 1227-1241.
- Abstract Viewed: 204 times
- pdf Downloaded: 106 times