Abstract

This article addressed the pressing issue of developing future doctors’ readiness for effective intercultural interaction within the multicultural society of Kyrgyzstan. The aim of the study was to analyse contemporary approaches to fostering intercultural competence among medical students and to develop recommendations for integrating these approaches into the educational process. To achieve this objective, both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed, including content analysis of medical university curricula and a survey of senior students from the I.K. Akhunbaev Kyrgyz State Medical University and Osh State University (N=347). The study revealed that the cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity of Kyrgyzstan’s population has a direct impact on the quality of healthcare delivery. According to the survey results, 68% of respondents reported frequent difficulties in communicating with patients due to language barriers, while 57% had encountered conflicts arising from differing perceptions of illness and traditional treatment methods. Furthermore, 92% of the participants indicated a lack of systematic courses on intercultural communication within their academic programmes. This is supported by the content analysis, which showed that less than 1% of subjects include modules on ethnopsychology or medical anthropology. The authors propose specific measures for modernising medical education, including the introduction of a compulsory module titled “Intercultural Aspects of Medicine”, training academic staff in cross-cultural teaching methodologies, and fostering a multicultural environment in universities through exchange programmes and the establishment of “Ethno-Clubs”. It was found that students with practical experience in multinational clinics demonstrated intercultural sensitivity levels 34% higher than those without such experience. The findings of this study have practical value for medical universities, the Ministry of Health, and international organisations, contributing to improved quality in medical education and enhanced interethnic interaction within Kyrgyzstan’s healthcare system

Keywords

professional readiness; multicultural environment; pedagogical challenge; cultural competence; medical education; tolerance

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