Examining the Related Factors Associated with Increased Length of Study in PhD Students in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences from the Viewpoints of Faculty Members, Students and Academic Staffs

Due to the job sensitivity of medical sciences and its direct relationship with public health, the consequences of increasing the length of study of students will affect the society and the health system. Considering the importance of the length of study of PhD students and the lack of information about the reasons for its increase, this study was performed to identify the related factors.

There was a descriptive- correlational study. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. A total of 118 faculty members participated in completing the questionnaires. 37 employees and 71 students also completed the questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and analytical statistics with SPSS 24 software as well as quantitative content analysis.

Factors related to the dissertation, especially the time-consuming publication of the defense condition article, had the greatest impact on increasing the length of study for PhD students. In quantitative content analysis, the most effective factors for students were dissertation-related factors and for faculty members and employees were personal issues.

According to the results, it is necessary to modify the grant process. Deduct the length of the course while the student is waiting for the article to be published. Allocate research projects that have been paused for an additional semester, excluding the academic year. Also, a plan should be developed to increase financial support for students during their studies.