BACKGROUND: Along with the evolutions of medical sciences education, the importance of medical education discipline has gained more attention for keeping up with these evolutions. Therefore, paying attention to policymaking regarding the development of this discipline and its position in universities is very necessary.
OBJECTIVE: This study has been done with the aim of investigating key educational and research factors affecting the future of medical education discipline in Iran.
METHODS: This is a qualitative study with directed content analysis approach, which has been conducted in eight medical sciences universities having medical education department (Tehran, Iran, Shahid Beheshti, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Kerman) in 2018-2019.
METHODS: A total of 25 participants (professors, students, and graduates) of medical education discipline were selected by purposeful sampling and with maximum diversity. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed using MAXQDA software.
RESULTS: After analyzing the data, a number of 1561 initial codes were obtained, of which 914 codes were extracted after removing repetitious codes and merging similar codes. Finally, the obtained results from content analysis were classified into two main categories including key educational and research factors and ten subcategories.
CONCLUSIONS: Among the most important key educational and research factors affecting the future of medical education discipline, it can be mention to the role of the discipline curriculum and need to revise it, the need to monitor the graduates and their status , globalization, the role of medical education centers and departments, and the role of theses. It is recommended that future studies investigate other key factors affecting the future of the discipline.

OBJECTIVE: Increasing developments in medical education have highlighted the role of medical education discipline in keeping with these developments. On the other hand, this discipline has been encountered with trends, events and challenges at national and international levels; so, there are concerns about its future. This study aimed to identify key factors affecting the future of the discipline from the viewpoint of stakeholders.
METHODS: This study used a qualitative approach based on constructivist paradigm and was conducted in 2019-2018. Thirty-one participants (teachers, students and graduates) of medical education discipline from 8 universities of medical sciences in Iran were selected through purposive sampling with maximum diversity. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using directed content analysis.
RESULTS: The key factors were classified into five main categories: social (characteristics of entrants into the discipline, motivations of candidates for entry into the discipline, national and international communications and interactions, the status of medical education within the academic community, and movement toward social accountability), technological (development of information and communication technology, and role of virtual courses), economic (economic situation of the country, and movement toward third and fourth generation universities), political (role of policies, laws, regulations, rules and policymakers), and values (views of the community on the role of education, and views of the educational system on medical education discipline).
CONCLUSIONS: The most important key factors were student admission and recruitment policies, lack of accurate information on the follow up of graduates, the role of virtual courses and its opportunities and threats, lack of curriculum review and the need to move towards social accountability. This study was a preliminary step towards the foresight of the discipline; so, it is recommended that future studies develop scenarios (possible, feasible and desirable) for the future of the discipline.