Determining the proper time for the retirement of elderly physicians in Iran

The decline in physical and mental performance increases in advanced ages, although the extent of this decline is not the same in all individuals, and also physicians are not exempt from this rule. The approach of different countries around the world in terms of retirement age for physicians varies and various factors are involved in it. This article examines the relevant evidence and causes of the decline in physical and mental performance in elderly physicians, as well as the solutions and related laws in different countries around the world. The seven general approaches for dealing with the decline in physical and mental performance in elderly physicians include reactive and responsive evaluation, warning and reporting by peers, physician self-assessment and self-reporting, institutional programs, peer recommendations (peer review), mandatory retirement age, and age based mental and physical screening evaluations. Given the statistics of elderly physicians working in Iran and the need for physicians with experience and acceptable performance, it is suggested that the solution of using timely diagnostic methods for mental and physical disorders related to the physician’s age, that have evident impact on the patient’s health, with employing appropriate mental and physical tools and methods, be considered as the main method for selecting elderly physicians who are qualified for retirement from the medical profession. Methodology Examining relevant articles from 2009 to 2022, obtaining information on physicians aged 70 and over sorted by age, gender, and specialization, from the Medical Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Keywords: elderly physicians, retirement age for physicians, decline in physical and mental performance with age, decline in physical performance with age in physicians, decline in mental performance.