Strides in Development of Medical Education Journal
Year:2021 | Volume:18 | Issue:1|Papers Count:29

Background: Writing in English has always been emphasized in educational programs. Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the effects of direct focused written feedback followed by amendments and group discussions on improving students’,English writing in different fields of medical sciences. Methods: The present research employed a quasi-experimental design. The participants were 168 Iranian undergraduate students from seven entire classes (taught by the main researcher), studying at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of medical sciences in 2019-2020. The writing tasks were the topics suggested at the end of each unit of the Inside Reading ("Intro" and "One") series. The length required for each topic was a paragraph with a hundred words at most. After writing each essay, the researcher spotted grammatical errors, recorded their types and frequencies, and gave direct feedback. The students received the corrected essays, and through group discussions and based on extra explanations provided by the researcher, the students became totally informed of their errors and were asked to apply this knowledge on their succeeding works. Results: Wrong tenses ( 30. 47%), incorrect articles (23. 48%), word order (17. 48%), singular/plural nouns (11. 59%), prepositions (10. 90%), and subject-verb agreement (6. 08%) were found to be the most common errors, respectively. Conclusion: Comparing the number of errors in the first essay with the errors spotted in the second and third essays showed that the corrective feedback was effective in improving the medical students’,essay writing.

Background: Interprofessional collaboration is defined as a key component of a successful team in healthcare system. Interprofessional collaboration facilitates healthcare team members to provide the effective and safe healthcare services. Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the relationship between self-efficacy and attitudes toward interprofessional communication and collaboration in learners of different disciplines. Methods: This cross-sectional study carried out in Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in 2020. In the first phase, the psychometrics properties of the scales,attitudes toward healthcare teams and self-efficacy in interprofessional collaboration and communication were evaluated. In the second phase, the survey were conducted among 178 residents, medical interns, and nursing students. Results: The validity and reliability of the instruments were confirmed. According to exploratory factor analysis, the items of the self-efficacy in interprofessional collaboration and communication scale were classified into four areas,effective communication with the patient, patient involvement, interprofessional teamwork, and interprofessional interaction. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0. 74 and 0. 95, and interclass correlation coefficient was 0. 76 and 0. 90 for attitudes toward healthcare teams and self-efficacy in interprofessional collaboration and communication scales, respectively. The mean scores of self-efficacies (2. 10±, 0. 41) and attitudes toward health care teams (2. 17 ±, 0. 43) were at a weak level, and a significant relationship was observed between them (P= 0. 001, r = 0. 80). Conclusion: Regards the confirmation of validation of the tools, the validated instruments can be utilized for formative evaluation of learners in different fields in order to provide the necessary platform for the promotion of interprofessional collaboration behavior in clinical teams.

Dear Editor, In Nigeria, like most African countries, Academic pharmacy is the least appealing area of practice for most graduates(1). Apart from being known to be the least lucrative area of practice in terms of remuneration, many aspects of this career path seem to be shrouded in so much mystery. A vital aspect of an academic pharmacy career which many students are not privy to is research and publishing. . .

Background: Medical education professionally requires the development of analytical and diagnostic thinking skills, not just accumulation. It used to help the student from exposure to real estate problems by developing analytical skills. Objectives: This case study reports the process of design and educational outcome of teaching medical etiquette from new student–, center strategies by art. Methods: In this experience, the educational process started during the two courses of medical etiquette courses and is performed every semester from 2018. Combination casebased/scenario-based teaching with art in education in traditional and virtual conditions during three concurrent years was a unique experience to teaching medical etiquette courses. Results: As a result, this program created fun, engagement, different teaching of lessons in interaction with teamwork, rethinking in performance, and student’, s excitement and motivation in presenting the students’,learning products. Conclusion: This process is an active cycle of reflection on performance and program and can be used as a model by medical etiquette teachers. We suggest more research should be developed by researchers to access all aspects of program in students’,learning and indicators.

Background: Although virtual training has been considered an educational emergency during the coronavirus crisis, it is still discussed in universities as a capacity. Student learning is the concern of all professors. Self-direction is an efficiency indicator in electronic learning (e-learning) widely used in effective educational systems. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine self-directed learning outcomes and facilitators in virtual course students of medical education. Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study included the graduate of virtual medical education in the universities of medical sciences in Tehran, Iran, in the academic year 2019. The research instrument was the Persian version of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 16), the indicators of descriptive statistics (e. g., mean, frequency, percentage, and standard deviation), linear regression, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Out of 201 individuals, 46 (22. 9%) and 155 (77. 1%) students were male and female, respectively. The mean age of the students was 39. 93±, 8. 25 years. The mean values of the scores of self-directed learning outcomes and facilitators were 71. 8±, 9. 4 (out of 95) and 70. 4±, 10. 6 (out of 125), respectively. There was a direct and significant relationship between self-directed learning outcomes and facilitators (P<0. 001),accordingly, with the increase of the score of facilitators, the score of self-directed learning also increased. Additionally, the variables of outcomes and facilitators had significant relationships with academic achievement (P<0. 001). Conclusion: According to the study results, by increasing self-directed learning facilitators, the outcomes of this type of learning, especially students’,academic achievement, increased. Therefore, it is recommended to increase students’,participation and consolidate self-directed activities. Furthermore, by the application of technology and program appropriate to the subject of the course, professors in virtual training should strengthen and nurture students’,self-direction skills and guide them to do various assignments and activities related to their lesson objectives.

Background: Training of expert human resources is one of the main and basic objectives of developed countries. One of the important challenges for attainment of this objective is shortage in funding and financial resources. This is while medical branches, due to being specialized and requiring vast practical courses, need spending considerable financial costs for training competent students. Objectives: The present study aimed to estimate the costs of training medical parasitology and mycology students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This was a descriptive research. The data collection tool was a form designed by researchers using various resources. Educational and non-educational costs of the academic year of 2017-2018, with a top-down approach, were analysed to estimate the costs of training and educating post-graduate students. Analyses were made using Microsoft Excel 2013 software. Results: The costs of educating master students in parasitology, Ph. D. students in parasitology, and master students in mycology in the academic year of 2017-2018 were 11, 144, 18, 365, and 7, 821 USD, respectively. Forty-five percent of the total of educational costs was allocated to training Ph. D. students in parasitology alone, and a major share (81%) of these costs had been paid to human resources. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that the financial costs of training and educating students in the parasitology and mycology fields are high, needing the prompt attention of the policymakers of the national medical education system.

Background: Learning a language has become more highlighted for medical students because it works as an approach for expressing and exchanging thoughts and feelings. Objectives: The present study was conducted to investigate the preferences of English as an international language among Iranian medical students. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was carried out on three different cohorts of language learners from Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. Four hundred students aged 18 to 46 were selected using the convenience sampling method. Exclusion of the upper-intermediate ones yielded 372 intermediate participants. The English Language Preferences Questionnaire was used to identify the factors on English language learning preferences. Frequency, and Pearson’, s correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data using SPSS. Results: Speaking (42. 8%) was the most preferred skill. Among participants, 83. 1% preferred an English class of different activities, such as group work and projects. Also, 26. 5% of students preferred to repeat what they heard, and 4. 2% chose to copy from the board. Media and watching movies received a high percentage (81. 2%). In addition, 47. 8% of the participants preferred an immediate reflection on their errors in front of everyone, 56. 5% showed interest in using both the native and English. Moreover, there was a statistically positive relationship between learning activities and task preferences among the participants (r =. 39, p <. 01). Conclusion: Educational scholars and syllabus designers should focus on incorporating learners' preferences into academic settings to revolutionize the traditional curriculums. These findings have substantial implications for the design of academic English courses for medical students.

Background: Numerous medical students feel that they are not ready to study medicine at the beginning of entering university. One way to reduce the challenges of entering the university is to provide opportunities to familiarize students with the university. Objectives: This study was conducted to design an educational e-learning module for freshman medical students to help a successful transition to university life. Methods: This study was a single-group study with a post-test design at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, within 2018-2019. The transitional e-learning module included content regarding academic integration, social integration, and information integration. The e-learning module for new medical students was implemented as a 20-day course at the beginning of their attendance at the university. After the students completed the e-Learning course or module, a questionnaire was completed to assess students’,attitudes toward the quality of the transitional e-learning module. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22. 0). Results: Out of 209 questionnaires, 135 questionnaires were returned. The findings showed that more than 65% of the students believed that the program could prepare them for academic integration into the institution. In total, the highest (8. 62±, 1. 15) and lowest (7. 07±, 2. 39) scores belonged to the "information integration”,and “, social integration”,sections, respectively. Conclusion: The e-learning module was implemented to provide students with practical support to adapt to the university. The survey findings showed that it helped freshman medical students prepare for academic and information integration into the university.

Dear Editor, In recent decades, human knowledge has rapidly progressed, especially in the evolution of new biomedical sciences and techniques, transforming all aspects of social life dramatically. In the new technology era in modern society, novel disciplines, not only theoretically but also from an empirical and practical points of view, have profoundly transformed bureaucratic policies. . .

Background: Medication error represents one of the parameters of patient safety. Objectives: The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of the effect of simulation-based debriefing on adherence to correct principles and medication administration competence in nursing students. Methods: Internship nursing students entered this experimental study using the census method. Afterward, the participants were assigned to intervention (n=18) and control (n=17) groups. Two methods were employed for data collection, namely observation and self-report questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using STATA software (version 12) and non-parametric statistical tests. Results: A significant statistical difference was found between the mean scores of adherence to correct principles of medication administration and medication administration competence before, 2, and 5 weeks after the simulation in the intervention group (P=0. 0001). Conclusion: The results revealed that the simulation-based debriefing improved the nursing students’,competence in medication administration. Therefore, this method in various groups of students and a clinical and practical environment is highly recommended for other students in clinical settings.

Background: Accreditation is one of the most important ways of guaranteeing the quality of medical education. Objectives: T he aim of this study was to determine medical university deputies' and managers' perspectives on the outcomes of institutional accreditation in Iran. Methods: T his was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study conducted as a census to assess the views of the deputies and managers of 65 medical universities in Iran on the outcomes of institutional accreditation. T he research tool was a questionnaire consisting of items about institutional accreditation standards in various fields, which was provided to deputies and managers via email or in person. After data collection, data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 22. Results: T he results showed that from the perspectives of medical university deputies and managers, the outcomes of institutional accreditation were satisfactory in the dimensions of mission, management and goals, resources and facilities, faculty members, and student and cultural activities. Also, the outcomes were reported relatively satisfactory in research and staff training dimensions. T he dimensions of staff training and resources and facilities had the lowest (60. 34 ±, 17. 22), and highest (73. 83 ±, 15. 12) mean scores, respectively. Conclusion: Deputies and managers believed that institutional accreditation had satisfactory impacts on some areas according to the available resources and facilities. Since these areas have a close relationship, the desirability of each area also boosts other dimensions, which ultimately upgrades university credit and qualification.

Dear Editor, India has accomplished an astonishing rate of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) vaccination. Clever application of the prevailing immunisation infrastructure and logistics has facilitated in augmenting the reach of the vaccination program. Regardless, India is beholding an austere wave of the pandemic with a precipitous rise in number of cases. India ranks second in global covid tally with more than 31 million COVID-19 cases, ensuing a massive pressure on its existing healthcare infrastructure and medical workforce (1). . .

Background: The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is broadly applied to assess the clinical competence of medical students. Despite the widespread use of the OSCE, the scoring methods used in this test can be a potential source of measurement error and affect the accuracy of the scores. Objectives: This study was aimed to investigate the checklist and global rating form scoring methods in OSCE stations. Methods: In this narrative review study, the keywords “, OSCE”, , “, Reliability”, , “, Validity”, , “, Utility”, , “, Global”, , and “, Checklist”,were searched in Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Medline databases between 2010 and March 2021. After removing duplicates and considering the direct relationship of the articles to the study’, s objectives, full-text articles were reviewed. Results: In total, 30 articles were retrived, of which 19 cases were finalized. The results of retrived articles were divided into five categories, including the correlation of scores, subjectivity and objectivity, validity and reliability, ease of use, and the need to train assessors, and the assessed capabilities in scoring by checklists and global rating forms. Conclusion: There is widespread disagreement on the superiority of checklist over global rating form. It is recommended that both scoring methods be used in combination to achieve maximum reliability and validity, to assess student skills based on objective criteria, to avoid applying assessor mentality, and to gain maximum validity in test results.

Background: Educational development of faculty members requires the adoption of clear and coherent strategies that pave the way for achieving goals in this area. Objectives: This study aimed to design a comprehensive educational faculty development program in Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In the current descriptive study, we designed a comprehensive educational faculty development program based on four steps of Kern’, s curriculum planning model from problem identification and needs assessment to the development of educational strategies in 2020. To implement the steps of problem identification and needs assessment, four focus groups were held with faculty members and some students. Results: The educational needs of faculty members were determined based on the specific characteristics of the program audiences. As a result of the needs assessment, the specific educational needs of each target group were determined in 19 areas and 32 skills. Then, the specific goals and educational strategies of the program were developed. Conclusion: The research led to the development of an educational comprehensive faculty development program. These results can help localize the educational needs of faculty members of different medical universities and improve the faculty development in the country.

Background: Individuals engaged in education and health currently during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic find it urgent to avail themselves of high-speed communication and information technology. Objectives: This survey was conducted to investigate the attitudes of environmental and occupational health students toward Social Media (SM) use in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which its population consisted of 375 environmental and occupational health students studying at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, in the academic year 2020-2021. The present study followed a quantitative design using the Social Media Attitude Scale designed by Otrar and Argin. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 26) and paired t-test. Results: The participants were within the age range of 18-46 years, and 64. 8% of them were female. Instagram was the most popular SM (frequency of use: 40%). Twitter (27%), Facebook (20%), and LinkedIn (13%) were placed in the next ranks. The need for sharing (61. 4±, 14. 93) was the most preferred dimension of SM. Social competence (54. 23±, 5. 17), social isolation (51. 33±, 4. 43), and relationship with teachers (40. 63±, 9. 7) were placed in the next ranks. Moreover, there was no significant difference between environmental and occupational health students’,attitudes toward SM (P>0. 01). Conclusion: Medical universities can use SM for educational purposes by designing a forum for study or helping students with health skills. However, researchers should be aware of health science students’,attitudes toward SM before developing such programs.

Background: Teaching and training require ethical considerations. Objectives: The present study aimed at evaluating teaching ethics from the perspectives of professors and postgraduate students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences based on a comparative approach. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on all postgraduate students and their professors in the academic year of 2019-2020. A total of 284 postgraduate students and 42 professors were selected using a stratified random sampling method, according to the size of each stratum. The data collection instrument was the standard teacher's professional ethics scale including six subscales and 48 items, scored based on a five-point Likert scale from 1 to 5. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The total mean score of professional ethics for professors was 3. 67±, 0. 63 and 4. 29 ±,0. 59 from the students' and professors’,perspectives, respectively. There was a significant difference between the students' and professors’,perspectives in each of the subscales (P <0. 0001). There was a significant difference among schools in the teaching techniques mastery and observation of rules subscales. Conclusion: From the perspective of students, the status of teaching ethics is still far from the standard, and it needs more educational plans to improve.

Background: There was a challenge for teaching hospitals to accept residents for educational goals due to their training costs. Objectives: The present study aimed to estimate the actual costs of residency training in hospitals for policymaking, budgetary impact, and negotiation. Methods: This retrospective study was performed in eight teaching hospitals affiliated with the Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2018. Two scenarios were designed to estimate the costs of education per resident. All of the resources used by residents in the hospitals were identified. Cost items attributed to the training goals were allocated to the internal medicine and surgical fields,however, for cost items that were used for treatment and education, such as disposables and consumables and equipment, the cost drivers were used. Therefore, the difference between the scenarios was related to the cost drivers. Results: Overall, the selected hospitals had spent $ 586, 720. 35 and $ 572, 358. 10 based on scenarios 1 and 2, respectively. The residency training per surgical resident in the hospitals was about 1. 2 times higher than an internal medicine resident. Surgery, neurology, urology, and anesthesiology were the fields with the highest costs in the hospitals. Conclusion: Although residency training accounts for a large proportion of hospital costs, employing residents reduces the costs of human resources. Monitoring and controlling costs, as well as resource quotas for resident training, can be a way to reduce educational course costs in hospitals. Universities can cover some parts of the educational costs to motivate hospitals to make an appropriate setting for residents.

Background: Specialized and subspecialized medical education is of key importance in the higher education system due to the special role of residents in various fields in the educationalmedical system of universities and the important role of graduates of these fields as specialized and subspecialized physicians in the community health system,therefore, the examination of their views on desirable education can lead to the improvement of the quality of education. Objectives: The present study aimed to explain the views of residents of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, on desirable education. Methods: This study was performed using qualitative content analysis. A total of 17 participants were selected by purposive sampling in the academic year of 2019-2020 from the educational hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences and interviewed in face-to-face and semistructured manners. After collecting the data, all the interviews were implemented and reviewed, and categories were extracted. Results: Data analysis led to the extraction of six main themes, including capable clinical professors, effective clinical environments, comprehensive planning, comprehensive and preventive educational rules and regulations, efforts to improve educational processes, and educational management. Conclusion: Health promotion is one of the needs of today’, s society. Clinical education should be responsive to society, and the desirability of this education will lead to community health promotion. In this regard, it is suggested that education and health officials take an effective step toward improving residency course education by proper planning, performing continuous evaluations of the status of residency education, and considering the factors affecting the desirable clinical education.

Background: The dentistry profession requires a high level of soft skills whose training seems necessary to respond to the community and increase the quality of specialized practice. Objectives: The present study was conducted to examine the status of soft skills training in dentistry basic sciences courses and identify the capabilities of each basic sciences course for the process-oriented integration of soft skills in the dentistry profession. Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted in 2018-2019. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The study’, s statistical population included the faculty members of the basic sciences of Isfahan and Mazandaran universities of medical sciences Iran, using purposive sampling. Moreover, the content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results: Soft skills training in the dentistry profession was not one of the educational objectives of basic sciences courses in this field, and teaching and evaluation methods used by professors had less capability to develop these skills. Additionally, the results showed that most of the identified soft skills in five domains had the integration capability in most basic sciences courses. Only some differences were observed in the integration of soft skills in the cognitiveintellectual domain. Conclusion: It is suggested to include soft skills training in the objectives of dentistry basic sciences courses and consider the capabilities of each course and curricula to correct teaching and evaluation methods in this regard. Furthermore, it is recommended to strengthen the capabilities of basic sciences professors to integrate soft skills.

Background: One way to make change in the field of education is through future studies. Considering the role of future studies in building a better future for the country’, s medical education and health system, the establishment of the required bases in medical education is necessary. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the dimensions and components of future studies in the educational system of a university of medical sciences. Methods: In this grounded-theory study, the statistical population included expert and knowledgeable faculty members with an experience of delivering services as directors, principals, and deputies of the faculties of Babol University of Medical Sciences, Mazandaran, Iran. In-depth and exploratory individual interviews were held through a questionnaire containing six standard items within October and December 2018. The interview process was completed based on the data saturation law, and the required conclusion was drawn with 10 samples. Results: A questionnaire with 50 components in three main dimensions, including infrastructure (25 components), management and faculty members (9 components), and outputs (16 components), was designed. Moreover, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed. Conclusion: It is time to build necessary capacities for future studies in the universities of medical sciences and provide the possibility for extensive participation and support of researchers and faculty members in future studies programs in the field of medical education and health research in Iran. The dimensions and components obtained from this study can be helpful in this regard.

Background: Academic underachievement is a growing phenomenon among medical students, influenced by several factors. Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between academic underachievement and problematic cell phone use among medical students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 medical students at KUMS during the academic year 2019. The Persian version of Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire was used for data collection. Also, the demographic data of the students were recorded, and they were asked to declare if they had a history of academic underachievement in the previous year. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 20. 0 using Chi-square test and logistic regression. Results: The mean age of medical students was 22. 41±, 2. 6 years, and the majority (74. 3 %) of them were female. The chance of academic underachievement was 6. 37 times higher in medical students who have problematic cellular phone use compared to those without it (OR=6. 37, P=0. 001). Also, this chance was 4. 45 times higher in medical students who had a history of psychological disorders compared to those without (OR=4. 45, P=0. 02). Conclusion: The current study revealed that the chance of academic underachievement was higher in medical students with problematic cellular phone use and a history of psychological disorders. Given that academic underachievement is not uncommon, its related factors must be appropriately identified and intervened on time.

Background: Empathy is an important component of effective communication of a patient-practitioner relationship. Medical students are expected to know this ability as part of their education. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effect of a short-training course on the empathy levels of medical students. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study conducted on eighty second-year medical students in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS), Iran, 2019. The intervention comprised of a lecture-based short training course, which was taught by a psychiatrist and was held in two sessions (Two hours each) for two consecutive weeks. Empathy was assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Student version (JSE) before and after the intervention. Students with empathy scores higher than average were considered high empathy group, and those with scores lower than average as low empathy group. Data were analyzed using paired T-tests through SPSS software, version 16. Results: The mean JSE score was 99. 66±, 13. 4 and 101. 62 ±,16. 37, before and after the-intervention, respectively. However, despite the score increased, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0. 054). Nevertheless, the empathy scores of high-empathy students significantly increased after the-intervention (110. 49 Vs 114. 15, p=0. 002). The empathy level also showed a significant enhancement in female students after training (p=0. 006). Conclusion: This study shows that a short training course is somewhat effective in developing medical student empathy. The findings suggest a need for revision of content and implementation of this course training into the existing medical curriculum.

Background: Teaching is identified as a necessary role and responsibility for junior faculty members in their future careers. Objectives: The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that a student-as-teacher (SaT) program can effectively prepare the students for their future roles as teachers and educators. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, the participants included 143 postgraduate students of 12 doctorate and master’, s degree programs at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, who were selected by census method. Nine learning objectives were classified in four competency domains: (1) adult learning principles,(2) instructional design,(3) teaching and learning processes,and (4) learner’, s assessment. The educational methods were based on an active learning approac. Results: The mean score of learners in the practical assessment was 12. 5±, 3. 6 out of 15, and their mean score in the modified essay test was 8. 5±, 1. 5 out of 10 after the educational intervention. The results showed that the scores of the learners’,attitude about cooperative learning were significantly different before (2. 38±, 0. 31) and after (4. 15±, 0. 65) the intervention (P=0. 0001). Also, the scores of learners’,capabilities in teaching were significantly different before (2. 5±, 0. 61) and after (3. 80±, 0. 34) the intervention (P=0. 0001). The learners considered their teaching capabilities to be at the level of “, familiarity without mastery”,and “, implementation mastery”,before and after the intervention, respectively (P=0. 0001). Conclusion: It is recommended to develop and implement SaT programs to improve the teaching capabilities of students using innovative teaching methods and prepare them for their future roles as instructors and teachers.

Dear Editor, The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health disaster with massive and various social, financial, and health consequences (1), which is transforming the community in countless ways. It has affected lifestyle to economy, playground to pray-yard, primary education to professional education (2). The pandemic has led to unprecedented disruption in well-established, conventional face-to-face medical education and healthcare systems globally. It affects physical, mental, and social well-being of medical students as well as their intellectual skill to learn (3). Besides, high rate of infection and mortality of the physicians in Bangladesh all through the pandemic might be influencing future career plans of young graduates (4). These impacts have drawn limited attention and have been less discussed globally as well as in Bangladesh. . .

Background: Currently medical education in Iran consists of basic sciences, physiopathology and clinical stages. Medical students learn them separately and often are confused that how basic sciences materials would be helpful for the patient’, s diagnosis and treatment. Integration of various related subjects during medical education is one the proposed strategy to overcome this problem. Objectives: The present study was conducted to assess the effect of an integrated teaching approach on medical students’,attitudes and knowledge about infection diseases. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the infectious disease ward of Valiae-asr Hospital affiliated to Birjand University of Medical of Sciences, Birjand, Iran. A total of 60 medical students (stagers) were randomly selected and assigned to the control and intervention groups. The two groups were matched based on their grade point average (GPA), age, and gender. An integrated teaching approach was adopted in the intervention group by four epidemiology, microbiology, infectious diseases, and pharmacology professors. The students’,knowledge was assessed by a written exam, and their attitude was evaluated using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 16 and using paired and independent samples t-test. Results: The analyses showed that 52% of the participants were male. The mean scores in the cognitive and emotional domains were not correlated with students’,gender, and they were not significantly different before (p= 0. 12) and after (p= 0. 25) the intervention. The students’,final learning scores were significantly higher in the intervention group than that of the control group (16. 16±, 1. 17 vs 14. 12±, 1. 73,p=0. 001). Conclusion: The integration of basic and clinical subjects helps students to better understand the physiopathology of diseases and enhances their satisfaction.

Background: Program accreditation is a quality assurance educational program implemented in many countries. Objectives: This study aimed to compare program accreditation standards of the Ministry of Health of Iran with several selected countries and to extract program accreditation standards to benefit from the experiences of other countries. Methods: The present descriptive-comparative study was performed in 2020. The information required for the study was collected by searching on the Internet on valid websites of accreditation institutes of medical sciences and higher education in Iran and other countries. Among them, the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) program accreditation standards and eight countries from different continents were compared with Iran. The research was conducted using the Beredy model. Results: The results showed that the standards in the studied programs were significantly different both quantitatively and qualitatively. It was also found that the accreditation standards of educational programs in Iran, Kazakhstan, and the WFME were consistent regarding the areas’,number and titles, but there was a difference in the number and titles of the criteria and indicators. Conclusion: Considering the vital role of graduates of medical sciences in promoting community health and also given the current and particular situation and the global conflict with COVID-19 epidemic, which has disrupted face-to-face education and evaluation at all educational levels, upgrading and improving the quality of medical education programs seems necessary more than ever. Therefore, to evaluate and promote the quality of these programs, it is suggested to codify accreditation standards of educational programs locally and according to the current conditions.

Dear Editor, The importance of comprehensive andsustainable development, competition between countries to gain a superior cultural-political and economic position, and strengthening science and technology to expand the sphere of influence and national authority indicate the efficiency of universities and institutions of higher education, research, and technology to achieve country’, s scientific and technological goals. In the meantime, the effective and undeniable role of faculty members as the most important pillar in the process of promoting and guaranteeing the quality of higher education is irrefutable. This issue has caused science and technology policy-makers to seek to conduct the tasks of faculty members in line with the goals of the country’, s science and technology system. The faculty members' promotion is one of the most important tools to achieve such a goal. . .

Background: Higher education is not uniform. There are significant differences between higher education systems among different countries and even among institutions in a similar education or system,therefore, identifying the various types of entrepreneurial activities helps the mission of fourth-generation universities. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to introduce the most important educational strategies to move towards fourth-generation universities. Methods: We systematically searched the international databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ISC, SID, and Google Scholar, until 2021 using some relevant keywords. Then, screening and selecting eligible articles according to inclusion criteria were done by two researchers independently. Results: Soft skills training, sustainable development training, training business law, reviewing the continuous training of professors, promoting ideation and creativity to solve problems, development of interdisciplinary training, decentralization of government accelerators and deployment of private accelerators, privatization of higher education, and internationalization are the most important educational strategies to move towards fourth-generation universities. One of the critical aspects and perspectives of the fourth-generation university is the development of job skills, professions, and competencies and empowerment of students and professors in line with the process of national development and solving society's problems scientifically. Conclusion: This research's analytical results help the universities design and implement their strategies to reach the fourth-generation universities according to the standard implementation models of the fourth-generation universities.

Background: The quality assurance of doctoral nursing education programs is one of the priorities of educational systems, with significant effects on the development and improvement of educational programs. Therefore, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of these programs through comparison can be useful. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the doctoral nursing education programs in Iran and Japan. Methods: In this descriptive and comparative study, which was based on the model proposed by Beredy, the Iranian doctoral program in nursing education was compared with that of Japan in four stages of description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison. Results: The doctoral nursing education program in Japan was older than its Iranian counterpart, based on historical records. The challenges of nursing education in Iran included the student admission system, inflexibility of the program, and emphasis on theoretical education. The strict rules regarding article publication in International Scientific Indexing (ISI) journals and the higher number of credits in the Iranian program, compared to its Japanese counterpart, were among the strengths of Iran’, s program, increasing the level of students’,knowledge and preparation for research activities. Conclusion: Comparison of the educational systems of Iran and Japan indicated the need for a more flexible and community-based curriculum in Iran.