Postgraduate Research Mentorship Program: An approach to improve the quality of postgraduate research supervision and mentorship in Iranian students

BACKGROUND: One of the important challenges at the Universities of Medical Sciences is the mentorship of postgraduate students' academic theses. Since 2015, the Research Mentorship Program (RMP) has been implemented with the aim of improving research knowledge and skill, thesis quality, and quantity and quality of papers of emerging from postgraduate students' theses. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study with census sampling method (nonprobability sampling), completed between 2015 and 2018. Twenty-eight postgraduate students participated in the program. Each trainee student is done during the research period through the supervisor and another student in a higher level of education as mentor. Questionnaire with open-ended questions and checklist was used for data gathering. For statistical analysis, Chi-square test was used. RESULTS: 100% of the mentors and 93% of the mentee participated at the Research Mentorship Program were satisfied. In addition, the duration of the research course for the master's students participated in the RMP was reduced. Participants in this program had higher quantity and quality of papers resulting from postgraduate student's academic theses. RMP can enhance the postgraduate students' knowledge and skills in their research projects and research methods, develop personal and professional relationships, and promote interpersonal communication as a student or mentor. CONCLUSION: This program and its similar programs can improve the quality of postgraduate students' academic theses and reduce their research period.