Changes in Medical Program Capacities at Turkish Universities for 2026

Today, June 29, 2026, following the release of new details by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), candidates for the National Entrance Exam (YKS) face a different landscape for entering medical faculties. These changes, part of the "Health Sector Manpower Planning" strategy, were developed in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Health to create a sustainable balance between the number of graduates and labor market needs [3].

YÖK's New Strategy: Balancing Education and Employment According to statements by Kemal Memişoğlu, the Turkish Minister of Health, detailed analyses show that while Turkey still faces a shortage of doctors and nurses relative to OECD standards, it has reached saturation in some other paramedical branches [3]. Consequently, the new policy focuses on a gradual reduction of capacity in fields where unemployment rates are rising. Erol Özvar, President of YÖK, emphasized that the primary goal of these decisions is to improve educational quality and prevent the waste of human capital [2].

Status of Popular Fields: Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy In the 2026 selection handbook, the capacity for General Medicine (Tıp) has been largely maintained to compensate for the shortage of doctors in the country's healthcare system, with no significant decrease [1][2]. However, Dentistry and Pharmacy programs have faced substantial capacity cuts. According to statistical data, dentistry capacity has decreased by approximately 22% and pharmacy by nearly 24% compared to previous periods to prevent over-saturation of these professions in the labor market [2].

Changes in Nursing and Health Sciences The Nursing field has not been exempt from these revisions. For 2026, nursing capacities have been redistributed with a focus on strengthening educational infrastructure in state universities, while some high-capacity programs at private universities have faced restrictions [1]. Additionally, fields such as Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation faced a 14% reduction, and Nutrition and Dietetics saw one of the highest rates of capacity reduction among all medical sciences [2].

Impact on Private Universities and Selection Recommendations A key point in 2026 is that the capacity reduction policy, previously implemented mainly in state universities, now seriously includes private (Vakıf) universities as well [2][5]. This will intensify competition for seats in these institutions. Educational experts recommend that candidates be cautious when analyzing the 2025 admission rankings, as the probability of an increase in the base score (Taban Puan) for programs with limited capacity is very high [1][4].