According to Humza Yousaf, junior doctor strikes will cause "major disruption" for Scotland's NHS.
The first minister warned that surgeries would be canceled after presiding over a meeting of ministers and health officials to prepare for emergencies.
Junior doctors will go on a four-day strike the following week after declining a 14 percent pay increase over two years.
The procedure was described as "an absolute last resort" by the British Medical Association (BMA).
The Scottish junior doctors committee chair of the BMA, Dr. Chris Smith, added that those striking from Wednesday through Saturday of next week were "standing up for the future of the NHS.".
The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR), which is the equivalency of the UK Cobra committee, was called to order by Mr. Yousaf on Monday.
In order to minimize the significant impact on patients as much as possible, he said, "I was given an update on the negotiations with the BMA and the work being done by NHS Scotland.".
Any postponed appointments will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
"However, we must be honest with the public; a junior doctors' strike would cause significant disruption and force the NHS to significantly reduce the amount of treatment, surgery, and care it can offer. ".
The pay offer to junior doctors, according to him, is the highest since devolution in 1999 and the best "by quite some distance" in the UK.
The SGoRR meeting was also attended by NHS representatives, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sir Gregor Smith, Health Secretary Michael Matheson, and Deputy First Minister Shona Robison.
According to Dr. Chris Smith, junior doctors in Scotland have repeatedly and vehemently stated that the pay offers made so far by the Scottish government are insufficient to show a commitment to stop the years of pay erosion we have experienced, which has resulted in pay reductions of 28.5% since 2008. ".
He continued, "Unless we take immediate action and invest in the workforce's future, we will continue to lose doctors to countries where they are paid fairly, jeopardizing the care we can offer to the people of Scotland both now and in the future.
"It is because of this that we were forced to announce strike dates for later this month, and by doing so, we gave health boards and the Scottish government more time to get ready. ".
As part of the celebrations for the NHS' 75th anniversary, Mr. Yousaf also paid a visit to NHS Forth Valley.
He disclosed an additional £9 million investment in the Transforming Cancer Care Program, a collaboration to aid cancer patients and their families.
The first minister was urged to participate actively in the pay negotiations by Paul O'Kane, the spokesperson for Labour on social justice, social security, and justice.
He told BBC Scotland, "What we are seeing throughout the piece is that people can't be retained within the system, that there's no incentive for them to stay, and that they're at breaking point.
They don't have the support they require, are stressed out, and are burnt out.
. "
