Lessons Learned from Introducing the Characteristic of an Outstanding Medical Teacher: Its Implication in Role Modeling and Professionalism

Abstract Background Role models play a crucial role in determining the professional development of medical trainees. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to gain in-depth understanding of the outstanding qualities of one successful role model in Iran. We described his character, personality and merits as a conceptual framework for role modeling in medical education.Methods Qualitative descriptive study. Inductive content analysis was performed, and data were collected by conducting interviews. The study was done in the school of medicine of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Twenty five medical students, medical graduates and faculty members participated in 25 interviews from April to December 2019. The participants were recruited via purposive sampling.Results Five themes, 13 subthemes, and 46 categories were extracted from the data, and the conceptual framework of role modeling in medical education was developed.Conclusion In this study, we designed a framework for role modeling in medical education Based on this framework, role models in medical education can function as mentors, medical leaders, clinical teachers, and professional instructors. Overall, role modeling is an important concept in medical education, and results of this article contributes to maintain the high quality of medical education.