YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta is sharpening the academic foundations of its proposed medical degree as Indonesia pushes to expand its doctor workforce amid mounting health and demographic pressures.

The Islamic state university held a curriculum consolidation forum on Jan. 17, bringing together 26 prospective lecturers to align teaching frameworks, learning outcomes and faculty readiness ahead of a formal external assessment scheduled for Feb. 16–17, 2026. University officials said curriculum preparedness would be a decisive factor in securing approval to open the medical program.

Medical educator Murtafioh Hasanah said assessors would evaluate institutional readiness as a whole, not just documentation.

“This process tests whether curriculum design, faculty capacity, facilities and academic vision operate as a single system,” she said.

The session outlined faculty governance structures, technical stages of the assessment process and preparatory steps involving all teaching staff. As part of capacity building, the university plans short-term academic and laboratory internships at Diponegoro University’s Faculty of Medicine.

Academic coordinator Faradilla said the undergraduate medical curriculum is structured around 150 credits delivered through five block-based learning phases. The program moves from foundational medical sciences and clinical skills to pathophysiology, life-cycle–based clinical learning and junior clerkships, complemented by electives emphasizing Islamic medical ethics.

She also presented the framework for the professional medical education track, which includes core clinical rotations in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, forensic medicine and public health.

University officials said the proposed Faculty of Medicine would adopt a preventive and promotive health approach, with a distinctive focus on musculoskeletal disease prevention among older adults — a response to Indonesia’s aging population and uneven access to healthcare services.

If approved, the program would expand UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s academic profile and position the university as a new contributor to Indonesia’s medical workforce pipeline, integrating clinical training with ethical and social perspectives rooted in its Islamic academic tradition.