Predictors of Supervision Satisfaction in Medical Thesis Projects: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The thesis is an integral component of the general medical education curriculum, designed to provide research experience and evaluate students' scientific abilities, experimental and clinical skills, and personal competencies. This study was conducted at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences to determine satisfaction levels with the thesis supervision process and related factors from the perspective of students and residents. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 118 medical students and residents of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences who had defended their theses between September 23, 2021, and July 22, 2022. The main instrument used was the "Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ)". Collected data were entered into SPSS version 26 software, with a significance level of P < 0.05 for data analysis. Results: The mean age was 28.33 ± 4.67 years, with 62.7% (n = 74) of participants being female. Additionally, 73.7% (n = 87) of the study population were interns. The mean and standard deviation of overall satisfaction with the thesis supervision process was 179.84 ± 37.8. Students' highest satisfaction was related to the thesis examination domain, while the lowest satisfaction was associated with the domain of research experience in acquiring and expanding skills, satisfaction with university infrastructure and facilities, and satisfaction with the conditions and intellectual environment provided by the educational group, faculty, and university. The results showed that decreased interest in research significantly predicts lower supervision satisfaction (β = -0.252, P = 0.005), such that decreased research interest predicted a lower supervision satisfaction score. Conclusions: The study had limitations typical of cross-sectional studies, including the potential for causal conclusions and reliance on self-reported data. Despite this, the results showed that about half of research subjects were satisfied or very satisfied with the thesis supervision process, while overall satisfaction showed no relationship with gender, marital status, educational level, or student academic status. Finally, students' motivation levels in research meaningfully impact their satisfaction with the thesis supervision experience.