Iranian Journal of Medical Education

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Introduction: Identifying the factors leading to job satisfaction could be useful in increasing faculty members' job satisfaction and motivating them to perform their educational and research activities. This study was conducted to determine job satisfaction rate among faculty members of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in the year 2005-2006. Methods: In a descriptive study, 210 faculty members of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences were selected through stratified random sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire including 45 items in the areas of salary and rewards, promotion opportunities, management stَAuts and communications, job security, physical conditions, environment, and nَAutre of the work was completed as self-administered. It was analyzed by SPSS software using frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation. Results: The mean and standard deviation of faculty members' job satisfaction were 65.09±14.93 out of 100. The mean and standard deviation for the areas under investigation including nَAutre of the work, manage-ment stَAuts and communications, job security, salary and rewards, promotion opportunities, physical condi-tions and working environment were 82.5±13.31, 65.3±17.52, 63.99±21.64, 61.8±20.9, 58.7±20.05, and 58.02±21.49, respectively, out of the total score of 100. Conclusion: Faculty members were well satisfied with their jobs. Their satisfaction about the nَAutre of their work was desirable, and about management stَAuts, job security, and salary and rewards, was partially desirable. They were less satisfied with promotion opportunities and physical conditions of working environ-ment. Taking faculty members welfare into consideration and revising promotion procedures could improve the current situation.

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One of the notions entered in university fields in the last two decades is the concept of scholarship and especially educational scholarship. Due to the inclusion of this concept in the first article of faculty members' academic promotion bylaw and considering it as a mandatory component for academic promotion, great attention has been paid to this topic. Remarking the background and principles prevailing this almost new perspective, this short communication endeavors for developing a ground for familiarizing the readers with the concept of scholarship, especially educational scholarship, and its manner of evaluation. Moreover, a little note has been made about substructures needed for broadening scholarship activities in the field of education as well as the challenges before that.

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Introduction: Motivation and job satisfaction of faculty can play a fundamental role in their performance. Inattention to staff’s job satisfaction causes cessation, relative stagnation and evanescence of them. Therefore this study aimed to determine job satisfaction of academic members in two selected Tehran’s military universities in year 2010. Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 150 academic members were selected and received the survey questionnaire. The questionnaire, including 45 items with 5 point Likert scale, had been developed and validated in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Then data were analyzed using independent t, ANOVA and Pearson correlation tests. Results: Mean scores of job satisfaction domains ,in a descending order, belonged to mode of supervision and communication(46.51± 10.61), nature of the job (23.83± 4.33), job security (23.76 ± 5.60), physical conditions and job environment(20.43± 6.79), promotion opportunities (17.29 ± 5.93), and salary and benefits(15.12± 5.39). Results of Pearson correlation test showed that there was a positive correlation between satisfaction score and the following domains in a descending order: mode of supervision and communication, promotion opportunities, job security, physical conditions and job environment, salary and benefits, and nature of job. Conclusion: Academic members had a relatively good job satisfaction. Attention to supervision and promotion opportunities can improve the current situation

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Introduction: Today, lifestyle improvement and health promotion is a basic need in the world. A factor that makes this need more urgent is increase in chronic illnesses, complications and disabilities due to non healthy behaviors. This study assesses the effect of instructional programs on life style of high school students in Zahedan, Iran. Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted on 400 high school students selected and assigned through systematic random sampling into two experimental (200) and control (200) groups in 2010-2011. Using health promotion lifestyle profile II(HPLP-52), different aspects of life style were assessed in the two groups. Both groups completed the questionnaire before the intervention. The experimental group attended a three-session instructional program and also received an instructional package. After 3 months, both groups completed the questionnaire again. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and ANOVA. Results: The mean scores of the questionnaire dimensions in the experimental (Nutrition= 24.3±4.2, Health Responsibility: 20.7±5.2, Interrelation: 26.2±3.9, Stress Management: 21±5, Spiritual Development: 24.3±3.8) were not significantly different from those of the control group(Nutrition= 24.5±4.4, Health Responsibility: 20.5±4.8, Interrelation: 26.2±3.6, Stress Management: 21.1±4.8, Spiritual Development: 24.5±4). Rate of physical activity increased in girls (24.2±4.9) compared to that of boys(21.5±5.1) after the intervention(p=0.00(. Conclusion: To make changes in teenagers’ life style, it seems not sufficient to raise their awareness alone. A number of other factors such as motivational, social, and environmental factors might also be considered.

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Introduction: Resident promotion exams are considered one of the most important summative exams in residency period that allow residents to proceed to a higher grade. Multiple choice questions are the most common and objective test in medical science education. Therefore, finding methods to improve quality of exams, particularly in specialty programs, is important. The aim of this study is to determine effectiveness of training workshops on improving quality of residency promotion exams in medical school of Guilan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS). Methods: In this Quasi-experimental study (before & after), all questions of resident promotion exams of GUMS for 12 specialty programs in year 2010 (150 questions for each specialty-1800 questions in total) were structurally and taxonomically evaluated using a valid and reliable checklist based on Millman principles. After12 one–day educational workshops (one for each department) on multiple choice questions), questions of residents’ promotion exam in year 2011 were evaluated. Data related to questions designed by faculties who had participated in the interventional workshop were analyzed using statistical Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Taxonomy of questions of written promotion exam in years 2010 and 2011 were as follows: 1204(%66.09) questions were of first level taxonomy, 565 (%31.4) of 2nd level, and 31(% 1.7) of 3rd level in the 2010 exam, and 867 questions (%48.2) were of first level taxonomy, 741 (%41.2) of 2nd level, and 192 (%10.6) of 3rd level in the 2011. Findings showed significant differences between taxonomy of questions of different programs in 2010 and 2011 (p=0.0001, Z=23.83). Also, according to Millman’s structural principles, the rate of questions with no structural problem was %66.77 in the year 2010 and %75.22 in 2011. There is a statistically significant difference based on Millman principles between 2010 and 2011 (p=0.0001, Z=16.703). Conclusion: Current study showed that training workshops are effective in improving the rate of questions targeted at higher levels of knowledge (Taxonomies 2 & 3) in residency promotion exams.

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Introduction: Due to the significant role of scholarship in the process of faculty member selection, employment, and promotion in universities, the Ministry of Health added the scholarship of teaching into promotion of faculty members' regulation to improve the educational quality and increase innovation and creativity in the teaching performance of faculty members. Therefore, this study was done to assess faculty members’ performance in scholarship of teaching in 2009-2012 in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, a sample of 127 faculty members of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences who finished the scholarship of teaching credential process between 2009-2012 were studied. The data were collected based on the scores they gained according to the Scholarship of Teaching Committee (approved by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education).Pearsonو Chi-square test and ANOVA-test were used for statistical analysis.

Results:127 (99.2%) of the participants were faculty members. Out of this number, 79 (62%) were applicants for associate professor level, and 42 (6%) were applicants of assistant professor level, and 6 (33%) had applied for full professor level. The level of scholarship activities were in 60.6% of participants exclusively at the university level, while 3.2% gained all credits from ministry activities and 36.2% of participants had activities at the both levels. A significant difference was observed between the different academic ranks regarding activity levels (P=0.002 and x2=12.46) and (P=0.000 and x2=17.64). In the University level activity, course planning with 77% had the highest rate of credentials. No significant relationship was observed between age and scores obtained in regulations. The rate of using different items of the regulation did not show a significant difference regarding different age groups.

Conclusion:The results indicated that less complicated and less timely activities were more frequently presented. Despite of all the advantages of scholarship of teaching process, it may be proposed that the bylaw of teaching scholarship should be revised. It seems necessary that the type of scholar activities should be expanded and the ceiling scores to be reformed. Hence, it may encourage teachers to use from innovative and creative processes and finally improve the quality of education in university

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Introduction: Comparative studies are one of the research methods in reviewing educational programs. This study endeavored to describe, interprete, and compare the criteria for promoting Iranian medical  with selected universities in the world.
Methods: This is a descriptive-comparative study that first studied the new regulations for the promotion of faculty members of Iranian universities of medical sciences, then the latest criteria for the promotion of professors in other universities and research conducted in this regard, Searched, translated, and studied by searching the sites of various universities and the Google-scholar, Scupos, Pubmed sites, and the Proquest and Magiran magazines. The four prominent universities in Shanghai International Rankings, including Harvard, Stanford, Will Cornell and John Hopkins, were selected as the research sample. The applied model in this study was a Beredy model that identifies four stages of description, interpretation, proximity, and comparison in comparative studies.
Results: In the studies, it was determined that the criteria in the selected universities are in the fields of: education, research, skills and innovation, or clinical care, and in some cases program construction. The candidate chooses to upgrade a field. There is also a support criterion consisting of achievement in all specific areas and activities. In Iran, educational, research-technology, scientific-executive and cultural-social training criteria are the main criteria.
Conclusion: The results obtained allow the country's scientific policymakers to develop, revise and modify the criteria for promoting faculty members with a broader vision which in turn set the stage for the ground for the comprehensive promotion of scientific and research education in the country.