Abstract
Background
More than a decade of armed conflict has devastated Syria's healthcare system, severely
disrupting graduate medical education (GME) across the country. Damage to teaching
hospitals, displacement of faculty, and fragmented oversight have contributed to deteriorating
educational standards and a growing physician shortage. As Syria transitions into
a post-conflict recovery phase, reforming its GME system is a national and global
priority.
Objective
This white paper aims to evaluate the current state of GME in Syria and propose a
strategic framework for rebuilding a standardized, sustainable, and internationally
aligned system through stakeholder engagement, data collection, and comparative analysis.
Methods
In February 2025, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) conducted workshops in
Damascus and Aleppo involving over 45 stakeholders, including teaching hospital directors,
medical educators, and diaspora physicians. A pre-workshop survey assessed program
structure, oversight, curricula, evaluation methods, and infrastructure across 21
institutions. Workshop discussions were informed by a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
and Threats (SWOT) analysis and global best practices from countries including Jordan,
Saudi Arabia, and the United States.
Results
Findings revealed wide variability in program oversight, clinical training quality,
evaluation standards, and faculty support. Only 57% of institutions reported having
formal curricula, while 81% conducted some form of trainee evaluation. Common challenges
included inadequate financial support, lack of standardized accreditation, insufficient
faculty development, and limited research access. Recommendations from the workshops
included the creation of a national accreditation council, modernization of curricula,
investment in faculty training, development of centers of excellence, and integration
of online education and 25 continuing medical education.
Conclusion
Reforming Syria's GME system requires coordinated, multilevel efforts to implement
competency-based education, establish independent regulatory bodies, and align training
programs with global standards. The phased framework presented here offers actionable
steps to rebuild Syria's medical education infrastructure and train a resilient health
workforce capable of addressing both national and regional healthcare needs.
Keywords
Syria - graduate medical education - post-conflict recovery - medical training - accreditation
- curriculum reform - healthcare workforce - medical education reform
