Historical and modern medical education in Uzbekistan: A strategic imperative for improving hypertension care and cardiovascular health outcomes
Abstract
The escalating burden of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases in Uzbekistan underscores an urgent need to reform the nation's medical education system to better equip healthcare professionals. This mixed-methods study investigates the strategic challenges and opportunities in this transformation by synthesizing data from three key stakeholder groups: health policy administrators, medical faculty, and clinical practitioners. Our findings reveal a critical skills gap among graduates in managing hypertension, a concern most acutely felt by practitioners (mean rating: 4.6/5). Significant obstacles include financial constraints on practical training resources, noted particularly by educators, and a substantial brain drain of medical specialists (23% of top graduates). Furthermore, satisfaction with the current educational quality assurance system was markedly low (mean: 2.8/5). Quantitative analysis identified research funding (β=0.42) and faculty development (β=0.35) as the most powerful predictors of educational quality. Qualitatively, international collaboration (34.2% of coded responses) and the digital transformation of medical training emerged as pivotal strategic levers. We conclude that a strategic overhaul of medical education is imperative for improving national cardiovascular health outcomes. This necessitates targeted investment in practical training infrastructure, curriculum modernization aligned with international clinical guidelines, and robust faculty development programs to cultivate a competent healthcare workforce capable of addressing Uzbekistan's pressing public health challenges.