COVID-19 Curriculum Disruptions and Future Preparedness in Iranian Medical Education: A National Mixed-Methods Study.
8 affiliations
- 1School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 2Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 3School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 4Department of Preventive and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 5Department of Medical Education, Health Professions Education Research Center, Education Development Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 6Center of Excellence for Global Health (CEGH), Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
- 7Department of Health Management, Policy and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
- 8Health Equity Research Center (HERC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Background
COVID-19 disrupted clinical training, assessment, and student engagement in medical education worldwide. We aimed to identify the curriculum challenges faced by Iranian medical education during the pandemic and the modifications that stakeholders consider necessary for future public health emergencies.Methods
In this sequential exploratory mixed-methods study, a literature review and 14 semi-structured interviews informed a 39-item questionnaire, which was distributed online to students, trainees, and faculty of Iranian medical schools.Results
The survey yielded 1095 valid responses (mean age 29.8±5.3 years; 61.5% women) from 58 medical schools. The lowest-rated experience items concerned compensation for lost clinical exposure through simulation and virtual patients (1.59±0.90 on a 5-point scale), regular quizzes or short assignments to monitor learning (1.60±0.98), timely feedback on assignments (1.73±1.06), and valid alternatives for assessing practical skills (1.80±1.07), whereas personal access to the internet and equipment scored highest (3.57±1.07). Between-institution differences were statistically significant but small in five of seven domains (η²H=0.018-0.053). All nine forward-looking reform items were endorsed (3.92±1.03 to 4.42±0.71). The assessment domain showed poor reliability, and the seven-domain confirmatory model fitted inadequately.Conclusions
Difficulty concentrated in the components of training that depend on physical presence and supervision. Recalled experience differed between institutions, although this design cannot attribute that variation to institutional characteristics. Endorsement of reform was near-uniform, but because the items were positively keyed, it indicates the direction of stakeholder priorities rather than their intensity or feasibility. The questionnaire domains served as a reporting framework rather than validated scales and require revision before reuse.
Related
- Zero-Cost Digital Automation for Scalable Assessment in a National Mechanical Ventilation Curriculum
- Maternal critical care infrastructure and organisational preparedness in Türkiye: a national analysis of the MaCriCare cross-sectional survey
- Associations between the Chinese physical education and health Curriculum model to the psychological stress of junior middle school students: The chain mediating role of psychological resilience and physical self-efficacy
- Operationalizing two UAE nursing education policy frameworks: a cross-walk for curriculum, assessment, and continuous program improvement
- AI-Mediated Relational Competence in Medical Education: Construct Rationale and Curriculum Maturity Framework.
BibTeX
@article{rashidi2026covid19,
title = {{COVID-19 Curriculum Disruptions and Future Preparedness in Iranian Medical Education: A National Mixed-Methods Study.}},
author = {Farhang Rashidi and Mohammad Abed and Alipasha Meysamie and Mahboobeh Khabaz Mafinejad and Amirhossein Takian},
journal = {Advances in medical education and practice},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2147/amep.s646794},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910233},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - COVID-19 Curriculum Disruptions and Future Preparedness in Iranian Medical Education: A National Mixed-Methods Study.
AU - Farhang Rashidi
AU - Mohammad Abed
AU - Alipasha Meysamie
AU - Mahboobeh Khabaz Mafinejad
AU - Amirhossein Takian
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/17
JO - Advances in medical education and practice
DO - 10.2147/amep.s646794
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910233
AB - Background COVID-19 disrupted clinical training, assessment, and student engagement in medical education worldwide. We aimed to identify the curriculum challenges faced by Iranian medical education during the pandemic and the modifications that stakeholders consider necessary for future public health emergencies.Methods In this sequential exploratory mixed-methods study, a literature review and 14 semi-structured interviews informed a 39-item questionnaire, which was distributed online to students, trainees, and faculty of Iranian medical schools.Results The survey yielded 1095 valid responses (mean age 29.8±5.3 years; 61.5% women) from 58 medical schools. The lowest-rated experience items concerned compensation for lost clinical exposure through simulation and virtual patients (1.59±0.90 on a 5-point scale), regular quizzes or short assignments to monitor learning (1.60±0.98), timely feedback on assignments (1.73±1.06), and valid alternatives for assessing practical skills (1.80±1.07), whereas personal access to the internet and equipment scored highest (3.57±1.07). Between-institution differences were statistically significant but small in five of seven domains (η²H=0.018-0.053). All nine forward-looking reform items were endorsed (3.92±1.03 to 4.42±0.71). The assessment domain showed poor reliability, and the seven-domain confirmatory model fitted inadequately.Conclusions Difficulty concentrated in the components of training that depend on physical presence and supervision. Recalled experience differed between institutions, although this design cannot attribute that variation to institutional characteristics. Endorsement of reform was near-uniform, but because the items were positively keyed, it indicates the direction of stakeholder priorities rather than their intensity or feasibility. The questionnaire domains served as a reporting framework rather than validated scales and require revision before reuse.
SN - 1179-7258
ER -