Background: Although there have been many research studies of the effectiveness of faculty development in health profession education, the contribution of these programs to organizational development through capacity development has not been studied. Further understanding of capacity development requires appropriate indicators and no previous indicators for faculty development of health profession educators were identified. The aim of the study was to identify indicators of capacity development in the context of faculty development programs at Tehran University of medical sciences (TUMS). Methods: A nominal group technique session was conducted with key informants from faculty development program providers to generate and prioritize a list of capacity development indicators. Results: A list of 26 indicators was generated and five categories were identified: Development and innovation in teaching and learning process, Development and innovation in communication and collaboration at different levels, Development and sustaining faculty development programs, Development of educational leadership and management, Development in scholarship. Conclusions: Capacity development for faculty development interventions of health profession educators is a process of engagement within a wider system, including individual and collective action, and involves the socialization of the teachers into suitable roles through professional identity development and participation within the wider system.

Background: Attempts to increase the development of faculty members can improve their ability to assume different roles. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to design, implementation, and evaluation a medical education fellowship program for the faculty members of Kerman University of Medical Sciences and to propose practical recommendations for the future design of development programs. Methods: In this semi-experimental study, a total of 53 faculty members of Kerman University of Medical Sciences participated in a one-year development program, which was designed by the Education Development Center and included the main disciplines of medical education. The program was evaluated in several steps, using the Kirkpatrick model. Results: In the first level of Kirkpatrick model, the majority of the participants were satisfied with the general quality of the fellowship program. Based on the findings, the program led to an increase in the knowledge of faculty members and promoted a more positive attitude towards education and these programs. The findings related to the second level of Kirkpatrick model showed a significant difference between the pretest and posttest results (P < 0.05). In addition, analysis of the effects of the program on the participants' behaviors and practical learning indicated positive changes. Conclusions: The medical education fellowship program led to positive changes in the participants' attitudes towards education and faculty development programs and increased their knowledge about educational principles and strategies and achieving of training skills. It can be concluded that the medical education fellowship program could achieve many of its preset goals.

Introduction The faculty promotion system is expected to benefit the faculty, institute, and profession and lead to the sustainable and comprehensive development. This present systematic review aims to investigate the challenges and solutions for the promotion of medical sciences faculty members in Iran. Method This study was a systematic review conducted by searching in PubMed, Scopus, Eric, Web of Science, Cochrane, SID, Magiran, and https://irandoc.ac.ir/line with Persian and English terms in the period from 2015 to 2020. Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by reviewers. Results Thirteen articles were included. Challenges and solutions for the promotion of medical sciences faculty members were reviewed and grouped into five main categories: 1. The general regulations for the promotion of faculty members, 2. Cultural, disciplinary, and social activities, 3. Educational activities, 4. Research-technology activities, and 5. Scientific-executive activities. Conclusion Despite several modifications to regulations for the promotion of medical sciences faculty members in Iran, this process still encounters challenges because of its complex nature. This article provides tips to policymakers on regulations of promotion for educational activities.

Introduction The impact of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy student theses on public health is a crucial concern for policymakers in medical science universities. If student theses correspond to the needs of society, they can significantly affect students’ scientific and practical abilities and lead to the provision of more efficient health services. This study aimed to identify alternative topics to diversify medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy student theses. Methods This mixed method study with an exploratory sequential design was conducted at Kerman University of Medical Science from February to June 2021. The qualitative component entailed a focus group of faculty members (n = 16) and students (n = 4) to extract alternative topics to diversify medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy student theses. The quantitative component included a questionnaire based on emerging subjects and literature review to evaluate the extracted alternative topics. Qualitative data were analyzed using conventional content analysis and quantitative data were analyzed descriptively. Results A total of 20 key participants took part in the focus group meeting, and from 20 questionnaires, 15 were returned with a response rate of 75%. A list of 18 alternative topics was generated and five categories were identified: individual development, research, education, healthcare, and social services. Conclusions The gap between what we know and what is seen in practice is quite large in medical and health-related professions. Alternative topics for medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy student theses contribute to turning knowledge into practice.