160 New Specialist and Sub-specialist Doctor Study Programmes Launched

Efforts to address the shortage of specialist and sub-specialist doctors in Indonesia are being accelerated. A total of 160 new study programmes, comprising 128 specialist medical education programmes and 32 sub-specialist programmes with a total quota of 8,650 students, will be launched this year. Prospective students can study free of charge until graduation but must fulfil a service obligation to the scholarship provider. The Head of the Task Force for Accelerating Increased Access and Quality of Higher Education for Medical and Health Personnel, Tri Hanggono Achmad, said that the new programmes for specialist medical education are being launched in 11 provinces that have specialist doctors in the medical faculties of both state and private universities. These universities include the University of Jambi, the University of Bengkulu, the University of Batam, the University of Nusa Cendana, the University of Tanjung Pura, the University of Palangkaraya, the University of Tadulako, the University of Halu Uleo, the University of Gorontalo, the University of Patimura, and the University of Cenderawasih. Scroll down to continue reading According to Tri, the 32 new sub-specialist medical programmes are being offered by universities that previously offered specialist medical education and have established programmes. These are generally state universities with legal entity status (PTNBH) such as the University of Airlangga, the University of Padjadjaran, the University of Gadjah Mada, the University of Sebelas Maret, the University of Diponegoro, the University of Brawijaya, the University of Syiah Kuala, the University of North Sumatra, the University of Sriwijaya, and the University of Hasanuddin. “This sub-specialist education not only increases the number of doctors but also meets the need for lecturers, as specialist doctors must have sub-specialist qualifications,” Tri told Tempo on Tuesday, 24 February 2026. According to Tri, the launch of the new specialist and sub-specialist medical programmes was initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek) on 22 July 2025. This was also mentioned by President Prabowo Subianto in his state-of-the-nation address during the annual session of the People’s Consultative Assembly on 15 August 2025. Prabowo also stated that Indonesia still lacks 70,000 specialist doctors and 140,000 general practitioners. According to Tri, some of the reasons for this include access to education. “There are several reasons for this, including the limited number of educational institutions and the cost,” said the former dean of the Faculty of Medicine and former Rector of Unpad. Tri said that the institutions offering specialist medical programmes are now located in almost all provinces. The launch of the programmes is based on the needs of the Ministry of Health, with priority given to the seven basic specialities in hospitals, namely surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, internal medicine, anaesthesiology, radiology, and clinical pathology. “The launch is targeted to begin in the second semester of March, and they are already accepting new students,” he said. Specifically, for the 160 new specialist and sub-specialist medical programmes, Tri said that the capacity is adjusted to the needs of hospitals in a particular area. For example, if a university offers a specialist programme in obstetrics and gynaecology with a quota of four students, then prospective new students will be assured that they will later work in a specific hospital. “If a prospective new student does not want to be assigned, then they cannot register,” said Tri. He believes that this type of service obligation is one way to address the concentration of specialist doctors in urban areas. As for prospective students who agree to be bound by the obligation, their tuition fees will be covered by a full scholarship. According to Tri, the funding can come from government hospitals, private hospitals, or local governments, such as in Maluku, which will utilise the expertise of specialist doctors in the region. Other sources of scholarships can come from the Endowment Fund Management Agency (LPDP), but the amount is limited. According to the contract at the beginning of the study, students who default on the scholarship agreement will be subject to sanctions. According to him, this acceleration programme will increase the number of new specialist medical students by 60 per cent from the regular annual intake, which is around 5,000 students. Tri is optimistic that there will be a surge in interest in specialities because medical education produces around 12,000 graduates each year, and the need will be met until 2028. Therefore, the projection is that most medical schools will focus on specialist programmes in the future. “The need is great, so it is unlikely that there will be no applicants for specialist programmes,” he said. As an example, according to the Unpad website, the cost of specialist education in medicine, for example, in 2026 for the regular class, ranges from Rp 15-26 million per semester and requires payment of the Institutional Development Fee (IPI) of Rp 10-30 million. Meanwhile, the cost of specialist education in dentistry starts from Rp 19-51 million, with an IPI fee of Rp 10-40 million. Regarding the availability of lecturers for the launch of the new specialist medical programmes, Tri said that three recruitment mechanisms are being implemented. Universities can prepare independently, and then there is a consortium scheme that combines the number of lecturers according to the requirements of the two proposing institutions. There is also a grafting scheme, where the proposing institution for the specialist programme meets the number of lecturers with support from a partner or affiliated faculty of medicine for a specified period. In addition, hospital doctors can also become specialist lecturers. According to Tri, the regulations refer to the Regulation of the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Number 52 of 2025 Concerning Career and Salary of Lecturers. This regulation accommodates anyone in the hospital who is competent or meets the required qualifications and is willing to commit to 37.5 hours per week to participate in education. “They can be appointed by the university as a lecturer with the status of NUPTK (Unique Educator and Education Personnel Number),” he said. Doctors can legally become lecturers after having been specialist doctors in a hospital for a long time. Tri believes that this is mutually beneficial. Practising doctors can become lecturers, and universities can obtain teaching staff while maintaining their positions.