Identifying Effective Components on Futures Studies of Medical Sciences Education Based on Competitive Dynamics Approach

Futures studies as an interdisciplinary concept provides a vivid image of the future in the field of medical education in universities. This study endeavored to identify effective components on futures studies of medical sciences education based on competitive dynamics approach in Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences.

This qualitative study was performed through semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis. The population included experts in the field of medical education, a total of 13 of whom were selected by snowball sampling, and their votes and opinions were analyzed in three stages of open, axial and selective coding.

Qualitative analysis of the results of interviews with experts in the field of medical education showed that the futures studies of research in this field requires attention to 6 major categories and 21 subcategories. Causal conditions (experienced academic staff, diversity of educational and research programs, expansion of applied research, university interaction with knowledge-based companies and institutions, flexible and applied curriculum), contextual factors (necessity of thinking about the future as an educational practice, multiple educational facilities, and appropriate social communication), interfering conditions (having critical and interpretive skills of the future, existence of empowerment policy and familiarization of professors and students with futuristic indicators), strategies (empowerment human resources, development of educational and research valences and use of various teaching methods) and consequences (providing active performance vs. educational events, promoting lifelong learning, considering students as social capital, regular evaluation, & review) was extracted from the analysis.

Overall, the results of this study revealed that futures studies in the field of medical education based on competitive dynamics is important and therefore researchers and specialists in the field of medical education and futures studies can use these components for the futures studies of medical education.