Mon, Jun 8, 2026
[Archive]
Volume 2, Issue 1 (IJHMD 2025)
IJHMD 2025, 2(1): 29-29 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Heidari A. The importance of ensuring quality in educational services at medical universities. IJHMD 2025; 2 (1) :29-29
URL: http://jhd.goums.ac.ir/article-1-56-en.html
URL: http://jhd.goums.ac.ir/article-1-56-en.html
Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran , Alirezaheidari7@gmail.com
Keywords: Letter to the Editor
Full-Text [PDF 222 kb]
(78 Downloads)
| Abstract (HTML) (297 Views)
Full-Text: (73 Views)
Dear Editor
In Iran, higher education plays a pivotal role in cultivating specialized human capital essential to national self-sufficiency across key sectors such as science and technology, industry, and agriculture. Current trends in the higher education system highlight the need to confront challenges stemming from rising enrollment and financial constraints, while simultaneously preserving and enhancing educational quality (1). Maintaining high quality standards in higher education is crucial to prevent the loss of substantial human and financial resources and to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of educational development systems. In contrast, reforms that focus solely on structural changes, methodological revisions, or redefining goals-without an accompanying emphasis on quality-risk remaining superficial and inadequate for producing meaningful, foundational transformation. Furthermore, improving the quality of medical education is particularly important, as it directly shapes public health outcomes and determines the efficiency of healthcare delivery. Strengthening medical training not only promotes better health across society but also generates positive ripple effects throughout the economy and overall social well-being (2).
Students benefit from a diverse array of educational services throughout their academic tenure. Consequently, their perceptions of these services offer a key metric for gauging the overall quality delivered by the university. If students’ expectations or needs are not clearly defined, resources may be misallocated to areas they do not value, inevitably leading to dissatisfaction. The global higher education landscape is increasingly competitive, spurred by institutional marketing efforts designed to attract a growing pool of applicants pursuing advanced degrees. Within this environment, the quality of student services has become a crucial measure of institutional excellence and a vital strategic imperative, as it directly influences student experience and satisfaction (3). Certain research indicates that medical education, in particular, currently underperforms relative to expected quality benchmarks. Furthermore, prior studies have consistently reported student dissatisfaction with the quality of services provided by medical universities, underscoring an urgent need for continuous and targeted improvement in this domain (4).
To effectively enhance the current educational ecosystem, it is imperative to institute an annual survey, conducted jointly by the Vice President for Education and the University Research Unit. This mechanism will yield comprehensive data on student learning requirements, enabling the timely identification of shortcomings and the subsequent implementation of targeted corrective actions. Furthermore, university leadership must cultivate an organizational culture that champions a student-centric and service-oriented approach across all administrative tiers. This commitment necessitates three key actions: (1) allocating sufficient financial resources; (2) providing personnel with requisite training in contemporary pedagogical methods; and (3) promoting transparent communication channels with the student body.
Crucially, the availability and suitability of technological infrastructure-including hardware and software that align with the specific demands of various academic disciplines-must be guaranteed. Finally, meticulous attention to the physical condition of lecture halls, the accessibility and quality of library collections, and the sufficiency of computing facilities are all fundamental contributors to elevating overall student satisfaction.
In Iran, higher education plays a pivotal role in cultivating specialized human capital essential to national self-sufficiency across key sectors such as science and technology, industry, and agriculture. Current trends in the higher education system highlight the need to confront challenges stemming from rising enrollment and financial constraints, while simultaneously preserving and enhancing educational quality (1). Maintaining high quality standards in higher education is crucial to prevent the loss of substantial human and financial resources and to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of educational development systems. In contrast, reforms that focus solely on structural changes, methodological revisions, or redefining goals-without an accompanying emphasis on quality-risk remaining superficial and inadequate for producing meaningful, foundational transformation. Furthermore, improving the quality of medical education is particularly important, as it directly shapes public health outcomes and determines the efficiency of healthcare delivery. Strengthening medical training not only promotes better health across society but also generates positive ripple effects throughout the economy and overall social well-being (2).
Students benefit from a diverse array of educational services throughout their academic tenure. Consequently, their perceptions of these services offer a key metric for gauging the overall quality delivered by the university. If students’ expectations or needs are not clearly defined, resources may be misallocated to areas they do not value, inevitably leading to dissatisfaction. The global higher education landscape is increasingly competitive, spurred by institutional marketing efforts designed to attract a growing pool of applicants pursuing advanced degrees. Within this environment, the quality of student services has become a crucial measure of institutional excellence and a vital strategic imperative, as it directly influences student experience and satisfaction (3). Certain research indicates that medical education, in particular, currently underperforms relative to expected quality benchmarks. Furthermore, prior studies have consistently reported student dissatisfaction with the quality of services provided by medical universities, underscoring an urgent need for continuous and targeted improvement in this domain (4).
To effectively enhance the current educational ecosystem, it is imperative to institute an annual survey, conducted jointly by the Vice President for Education and the University Research Unit. This mechanism will yield comprehensive data on student learning requirements, enabling the timely identification of shortcomings and the subsequent implementation of targeted corrective actions. Furthermore, university leadership must cultivate an organizational culture that champions a student-centric and service-oriented approach across all administrative tiers. This commitment necessitates three key actions: (1) allocating sufficient financial resources; (2) providing personnel with requisite training in contemporary pedagogical methods; and (3) promoting transparent communication channels with the student body.
Crucially, the availability and suitability of technological infrastructure-including hardware and software that align with the specific demands of various academic disciplines-must be guaranteed. Finally, meticulous attention to the physical condition of lecture halls, the accessibility and quality of library collections, and the sufficiency of computing facilities are all fundamental contributors to elevating overall student satisfaction.
Type of Study: Letter to Editor |
Subject:
Health Policy
Received: 2025/05/30 | Accepted: 2025/06/21 | Published: 2025/06/29
Received: 2025/05/30 | Accepted: 2025/06/21 | Published: 2025/06/29
References
1. Kebriaei A, Roudbari M. Quality Gap in Educational Services at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences: Students Viewpoints about Current and Optimal Condition. IJME. 2005;5(1):53-61. [View at Publisher] [Google Scholar]
2. Heidari A, Khatirnamani Z, Abbasabadi M, Rafiei N, Ahmadi M, Saravani H. The Quality of Educational Services from Viewpoints' Of Dentistry Students of Gorgan In 2021. J Mash Dent Sch. 2023;47(3):263-74. [View at Publisher] [DOI] [Google Scholar]
3. Heidari A, Khatirnamni Z, Haghighat S, Saravani H, Ahmadi M, Barati F. Quality of Educational Services from the Perspective of Nursing Students of Golestan University of Medical Sciences: SERVQUAL Model. Med Educ. 2022;10(2):60-73. [View at Publisher] [Google Scholar]
4. Heidari A, Khatirnamani Z, Rafiei N, Abbasabadi M. Investigating the Gap of Educational Services Qualification in the Medical School of Golestan University of Medical Sciences. EDJ. 2023;14(1):78-91. [View at Publisher] [DOI] [Google Scholar]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
