Identifying the challenges of the regulations for the promotion of faculty members in Universities of Medical Sciences: A meta synthesis of existing studies

Background: This research aimed to identify the challenges of the regulations for the promotion of faculty members in Iranian universities of medical sciences. Method: This qualitative research was conducted using the meta-synthesis method and organized in two steps. In the first step, a systematic review method has been used. Based on this, the specialized keywords of the research were searched in international authoritative databases; Science Direct, Springer, Wiley Online Library, PubMed, ERIC, Sage Journals, Emerald, and authoritative national databases; Magiran, Noormags, SID, portals of the Islamic Parliament Research Center, and other national portals, and this search was done during some years (1388-1401) and (2010-2021). In this search, there were 39 studies among which 17 studies were selected based on the PRISMA evaluation form. In the second step, the thematic analysis method of Wolcott (2008) was used. Results: In the results, three primary subcategories including structural weakness, content weakness, and executive weakness were identified as the challenges of the regulations for the promotion of faculty members. These factors were categorized in the form of eight secondary subcategories, including weakness in design, weakness in supervision, weakness in the educational sector, weakness in the research sector, weakness in the cultural sector, weakness in implementation at the university level, weakness in implementation at the extra-university level, and weakness in the implementation of regulations. Conclusion: The results of the research can help policymakers and decision-makers in medical sciences universities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of research and educational achievements by optimizing the policies of the bylaws to promote faculty members.