Authors
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: To be more successful in medical education and identify the strengths and
weaknesses of the curriculum in this field, assessment of the students’ views, graduates, professors,
and experts is essential. The aim of this qualitative assessment was to identify the strengths and
weaknesses of the medical education curriculum.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This research is a qualitative study using the Eisner’s educational
connoisseurship and criticism model that was conducted in Shiraz Medical Sciences University in
2014. In this research, graduate medical education curriculum was criticized by a team of educational
experts. Fifteen professors in the first stage of the focus group meeting addressed the three
stages of educational criticism. In the second stage, several interviews were conducted with the
above‑mentioned people. In the third phase, the implementation of video recordings from the focus
group meeting was performed in written form. In the fourth stage, conventional content analysis was
used to analyze the qualitative data.
RESULTS: This curriculum has advantages and disadvantages in the constituent elements of the
program. Its weaknesses include lack of written a guide for practical courses, lack of consideration
of joint practical exercise to make integrate between lessons, lack of sufficient attention to aspects
of practical and functional knowledge in this field, lack of attention to performance evaluation and
development, and lack of routine review of the curriculum. On the other hand, the strengths of this
study include the suitability of this field for professors and its positive impact on professors and
students performance in the classroom.
CONCLUSION: As medical education is partly an emerging field in Iran and considering the
weaknesses, reviewing the curriculum based on the main part of program, the outcomes, curriculum
content, teaching strategies, student assessment, and course management are recommended.
Keywords
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