Horizon of Medical Education Development

Horizon of Medical Education Development

Qualitative Study of the Characteristics of an Effective Advisor Professor from the Perspective of Medical and Health Services Management Students at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
roya jalili 1
parisa yoshari 2
ali jannati 3
hossein masoumi 4
masoumeh gholizadeh 3
1 Student Research Committee, school of Medical Management and Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Student Research Committee, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Iranian Center of Excellence in Health Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
4 Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
10.22038/hmed.2025.87654.1519
Abstract
Introduction: The academic advisor, acting as a bridge between students, faculty, and the university system, plays a crucial role in the academic and psychological well-being of students. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of an effective academic advisor from the perspective of medical and health services management students at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.
Materials & Methods:This study was conducted using qualitative content analysis with the participation of 17 medical and healthcare management students from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, who were purposefully selected due to their rich experience in the subject matter. Data collection was carried out through in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews and field notes. Sampling continued until data and category saturation were achieved.
Results:From the students' perspective, effective academic advisor characteristics were identified across three main themes: behavioral characteristics of academic advisors, academic guidance skills and characteristics of academic advisors, and non-academic guidance skills and characteristics of academic advisors. Thirty-four sub-themes were also identified. The emergent themes indicated the importance of salient characteristics of an effective academic advisor.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is necessary for the university to place particular emphasis on attracting advising professors with scientific and leadership skills in all aspects of student life related to their education. The results of this study can be useful in improving the capabilities of advising professors.

Acknowledgments: We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to the preparation of this article, including faculty members, students, the educational and research vice-deans of the Faculties of Medicine and Management and Medical Information Sciences, and the Student Research Committee.

Availability of data and materials: All data are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no competing interests.

Consent for publication: Not applicable.

Ethical approval and consent to participate: The research protocol was approved and supported by the Student Research Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (Ethics Code: IR.TBZMED.REC.1403.204). The participants were informed that their participation in the study was voluntary. The participants’ data were analyzed and reported anonymously and confidentially. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.

Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Authors’ Contributions: P. Yoshari and H. Masoumi contributed substantially to conceptualization and study design, data collection and processing, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript drafting. R. Jalili contributed primarily to the critical review and editing of the manuscript, finalization, and accountability for the work. A. Jannati contributed to the study design, manuscript drafting and critical revision, and finalization. M. Gholizadeh contributed to data analysis and interpretation, manuscript revision, finalization, and accountability. All authors contributed to the study in accordance with their respective roles, reviewed and approved the final manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Open Access Policy: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. To view a copy of this licence, visit.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Keywords
Student perspective
EffectiveAdvisor professor
Teaching Skills
Evaluation Skills
Interpersonal
Communication
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Horizon of Medical Education Development
Volume 17, Issue 4
Autumn 2026
Pages 25-38