Istanbul Medipol University hosted the 2026 National Core Education Program (NCEP)

Istanbul Medipol University hosted the two-day “2026 Medical Education National Core Education Program Preparation Workshop” organized by the Deans Council of Türkiye. The workshop held on the South Campus brought together deans, vice deans, and academics from different universities. At the workshop, important evaluations and preparations were made to reshape medical education in line with modern needs and to provide students with the most up-to-date information. Opened by the speech of Istanbul Medipol University Vice-President Prof. Recep Öztürk, the workshop was also attended by the School of Medicine Dean Prof. Naci Karacaoğlan, the International School of Medicine Dean Prof. Ayhan Taştekin, the School of Medicine Vice-Deans Prof. Ayşegül Çopur Çiçek, Prof. Ufuk Şakul, and the International School of Medicine Vice-Deans Prof. Mesut Yılmaz and Prof. Zübeyir Bayraktaroğlu.

PROF. ÖZTÜRK DREW ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANCE OF NCEP
In his opening speech, Istanbul Medipol University Vice-President Prof. Recep Öztürk drew attention to the importance of the National Core Education Program (NCEP) in medical education. Prof. Öztürk said: “NCEP has been working to set minimum standards for medical education in Türkiye since the early 2000s. By considering examples from around the world, this program, which establishes the criteria that all medical schools should be based on, aims to meet the needs and expectations of future physicians by being updated every six years. While significant progress has been made especially in digital competencies, the National Core Education Program continues to be successfully implemented to create a structure compatible with the Turkish Qualifications Framework (TQF).”

PROCESSES ARE DESIRED TO BE MADE MORE EFFICIENT
Speaking at the workshop, Prof. Ayhan Taştekin stated that the workshop aims to make medical education more efficient. Prof. Taştekin said: “Preparatory work for the 2026 update of the NCEP, which has been developed and successfully implemented for many years, is being hosted by Istanbul Medipol University this year. As the name suggests, NCEP focuses on the fundamental knowledge, skills, and competencies that medical school graduates should have. The program aims to make the processes of both academics and students more efficient and easier by clearly defining what knowledge and skills graduates should have.”