Educational ranking of medical universities in Iran (ERMU)

Background: Several international ranking systems are available for examining the performance of universities internationally. However, it seems that in these rankings the educational functions are relatively discounted. In this study, we presented the theoretical framework, methodology, and results of 2 rounds of ERMU (educational ranking of medical universities) in Iran. Methods: The indicators were designed through literature reviews, expert panels, and consensus among professionals using Delphi method. Six domains, including quantitative expansion, educational management scheme, educational management, qualitative development, and alignment with the National Master Plan for Science and Education were assessed. Nineteen educational processes and outcome-based indicators were defined at the end. Some of them, such as the number of educational disciplines, were normalized based on the number of academic staff. Using exploratory factorial analysis, the interval validity of the final instrument was assessed. Also, the internal consistency of the tool was evaluated by calculating Cronbach's alpha. Data were collected in 2 rounds in 2010 and 2014. The required data were collected and cross-validated from different sources in medical universities and in the Ministry of Health. Results: The analysis yielded 2 factors, explaining a total of 61.6% of the variance for the entire set of variables. The calculated Cronbach's alpha was 0.94. The correlation coefficient for all items was 0.88. The comparison of the results of the 2 rounds showed a significant improvement in the scores of universities in all domains. Conclusion: The results showed a relatively fitted model with acceptable reliability. In addition, it seems that the ranking of medical universities has improved their performance in the study indictors. It seems that in the long-term, monitoring these indicators and the visibility of their scores may improve the educational performance of universities.