Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism
Volume:1 Issue: 1, Jan 2013

This is a brief overview of the history of formal introduction of the art and science of education into the sphere of medical education in Shiraz. Before this introduction medical education was, and in the majority of other institutions world-wide still is, a simple transfer of knowledge from teacher to student. The students accepted their passive role because this was how they had been taught all their life. The teachers perpetuated this process because this was how they were taught themselves. After all, what was good enough for them was good enough for the students. All one needed to be a good teacher was to be an expert in ones field. What the Department of Medical Education attempted to do locally and the Regional Teacher Training Center internationally, was to promulgate problem-based, learner directed teaching using the principles of adult learning and using evaluation methods that were valid and reliable. This article describes the process used for this transformation and some of the results obtained.

Attempts from some colleges of medicine in Iraq were made trying to overcome the problems and suffocations that faced undergraduate medical studies in our country and trying to respond to our community health needs to increase awareness, evidence-campaign for staff members of the college and for administration and students focusing mainly on medical education quality and best practice. Collection of data was done through questionnaires, interviews, documents and focus group discussions. The graduates are of good quality and having the necessary competencies and skills when compared to national, regional and international graduates. There is no properly objective defined mechanism to evaluate our graduates regarding their performance in provision of health services to the community. There is a need to introduce a mechanism to evaluate graduates of our college and to monitor the community perception of the quality of services they do provide.

General medical education starts with basic sciences which usually continue about 2.5 to 3 years. In this period, the students study basic medical sciences and then start the clinical stage in which they deal with diagnoses, care, and cure of disease. The purpose of this study was to assess the integration of basic sciences period with the clinical period at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The present study is a descriptive one. The sample of the study consisted of all students entered Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in January, 2009 and November, 2009, professors of basic sciences courses, and some clinical professors. To evaluate the integration program, we devised various instruments. The collected data were analyzed, using SPSS software. the findings showed that in spite of the students’ objections new educational methods in the first year of implementation, they felt more satisfied as the drawbacks were removed over time. The assessment of educational curricula is an important step to identify educational problems and promote the students’ learning. This issue can help the curriculum planners to design the educational programs so that students, particularly medical students, will be able to acquire the required knowledge and skill and integrate them for the promotion and maintenance of society’s health.

Traditional methods are generally used for teaching basic science courses at Shiraz Medical School. Such courses are taught during the first and second years of a seven-year medical program. The goal of this study was to analyze teachers and student's perceptions of basic science teaching in medical education. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the college of medicine of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Regarding the student's viewpoints, 71.4% reported that curriculum content in basic sciences was enough and had good relevance. 59.2% of students believed the objectives of basic sciences curriculum were clear. The burden of teaching basic sciences ranges from sustaining interest to clinical relevance. It is expected that medical schools will continuously monitor what works and what does not work with their curricula and make the necessary adaptations as required.

The human resources are considered the main asset of any society. If used properly and effectively, it will create other sources and above all the added value. The quality of the life is usually dependent on the quality of human professional life including factors such as job security, services and welfare pensions, health services, income, and job quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role and priority of the above-mentioned factors on efficacy of the staff members of the Fars Office of Education. The research sample comprised the staff members of the Fars Office of Education across the state, including 61 districts. Based on the Cochran Formula, 25 districts were randomly selected. In order to measure the factors, the Likert-type instrument designed by Hossainpoor to compare the Ideal and current situation, was used. The staff rated job security as the most important factor affecting their efficacy in both current and ideal situations followed by income. Based on the previous research and review of literature, success of the educational organizations is fully dependent on their personnel. If executives of such organizations try to attract the qualified personnel and keep them motivated, their success will be guaranteed.

The undergraduate curriculum of Shiraz medical school underwent a major reform during the recent years. It comprised of integrated education, supplemented with an early clinical experience program. This study was carried out to find out how early experience in clinical experience affects medical students’ perception and identify strengths and limitations of the available methods and the environment of its delivery. During the academic year 2011-2012, this descriptive, analytical study was undertaken and the subjects were first year students studying medicine at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences using a DREEM questionnaire. The DREEM questionnaire showed evidence of desirable educational climate during the program. Overall, 98 percent of the students were satisfied with the course and believed that the program helped them to become more familiar with the clinical environment and reduce their fear. The student's satisfaction and their positive attitudes toward early clinical exposure suggested that this program improve the quality of basic science courses and implementation of personal and professional identity and also reduce students’ stress of hospital practice.

Professional ethics is a very important issue for managers who are role models for students and staff. It can also be very effective in organizational activities. The main objective of this research is to describe the result of managers’ self assessment in Shiraz teaching hospitals. The present research is a cross-sectional study. The statistical society of this research includes all senior, middle and executive managers of Nemazi, Faghihi and Chamran hospitals. Regarding the small volume of statistical society and advice of a statistical counselor, the census method was used. The data were gathered using questionnaires. The result of this research showed that there was a significant association between managerial ethics and education levels but there wasn’t a significant association between average score of managerial ethics and the field of study, sex and age. Also the mean for managerial ethics was the highest in Faghihi hospital. According to research findings and positive association between managerial ethics and education levels, observance of professional ethics is essential. So we can train managers to observe professional ethics more in their organizations in order to improve organizational efficacy.